长青 (cháng qīng) — evergreen; enduring (of trees, friendship, relationships, etc.)

Definition

Literary adjective meaning 'evergreen, enduring' — used in writing for trees and for lasting things like friendship or spirit, more elegant than everyday words like 永远 or 一直.

adjective
evergreenenduring (of trees, friendship, relationships, etc.)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 长青。
    Zhè kē sōng shù sì jì cháng qīng.
    This pine tree is evergreen all year round.
  • 长青。
    Wǒ men de yǒu yì cháng qīng bù shuāi.
    Our friendship is enduring and never fades.
  • 长青。
    Zhè zhǒng wén huà jīng shén yǒng yuǎn cháng qīng.
    This cultural spirit is forever evergreen.

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
青qīnggreen

长 and 青 combine to mean long-lasting greenness.

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 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

An early form of 青 combined 生 and 井, both used for sound; the modern form has changed.

Open 青 →

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