长生 (cháng shēng) — longevity (long life); immortality (eternal life, esp. in Daoist context)

Definition

长生 means 'longevity / long life' (as a wish for the elderly) or 'immortality' in the Daoist sense — eternal life through cultivation. Mostly seen in 成语 (e.g. 长生不老) and Daoist writing.

noun
longevity (long life)immortality (eternal life, esp. in Daoist context)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 长生。
    Xǔ duō gǔ dài dì wáng zhuī qiú cháng shēng shù.
    Many ancient emperors sought the art of longevity.
  • 长生。
    Dào jiào rèn wéi tōng guò xiū liàn kě yǐ dé cháng shēng.
    Daoism believes that through cultivation one can attain immortality.
  • 。
    Rén men cháng cháng zhù lǎo rén cháng shēng bù lǎo.
    People often wish the elderly a long life without aging.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

长chánglong
生shēnglife

长 means long, and 生 means life, giving long life or enduring life.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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