阳关道 (yáng guān dào) — (figurative) broad road; smooth path; promising future

Definition

阳关道 (yángguāndào) literally names the ancient 'Yangguan Road', but is now used figuratively for a broad, smooth road to success — paired with 独木桥 to mean 'each going their own way'.

noun
(figurative) broad roadsmooth pathpromising future
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 阳关道，。
    Nǐ zǒu nǐ de yáng guān dào, wǒ guò wǒ de dú mù qiáo.
    You go your way, and I'll go mine.
  • 阳关道，。
    Tā xuǎn zé le zhè tiáo yáng guān dào, shì yè yì fān fēng shùn.
    He chose this smooth path, and his career went smoothly.
  • ，阳关道。
    Jì rán zhì xiàng bù tóng, bù rú gè zǒu gè de yáng guān dào.
    Since our aspirations differ, we might as well each take our own broad road.

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.

阳关Yang Pass
阳yángYang关guānPass
偏正Modifier + head
道dàoroad

The proper name 阳关, Yang Pass, combines with 道 to mean the road there, hence a broad smooth path.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 陽; 阳 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fùhill
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng陽yáng
Same sound today

In the traditional form 陽, 阜 shows a hill and 昜 is the older character for the word, tied to sunshine and the sound; simplified 阳 is a later shorthand.

Open 阳 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 關; 关 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
門門méndoor
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢇅
𢇅𢇅關guān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 关, the traditional form 關 shows 門 as a door and 𢇅 as two wooden sticks locking it, with ring-like marks on top.

Open 关 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →

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