雍容华贵 (yōng róng huá guì) — elegant and dignified, with a luxurious bearing

Definition

A formal idiom describing a person (or sometimes a scene) with a calm, dignified elegance and a luxurious, noble air — typically used in writing rather than everyday speech.

idiom
elegant and dignifiedwith a luxurious bearing

Examples

  • ，雍容华贵。
    Tā chuān zhuó yí jiàn qí páo, xiǎn de shí fēn yōng róng huá guì.
    She wore a qipao and looked very elegant and dignified.
  • 雍容华贵，。
    Zhè fú huà zhōng de mǔ dān huā yōng róng huá guì, hěn yǒu guì zú qì xī.
    The peonies in this painting are elegant and luxurious, with a noble air.
  • 雍容华贵，。
    Zhè wèi nǚ shì de qì zhì yōng róng huá guì, lìng rén yìn xiàng shēn kè.
    This lady's demeanor is elegant and poised, leaving a deep impression.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

雍容graceful bearing
雍yōnggraceful容róngbearing
偏正Modifier + head
华贵luxurious and noble
华huámagnificent贵guìnoble
联合Side by side

雍容 gives a graceful bearing, while 华贵 adds a luxurious, noble air.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 雍 →

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
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
公
公gōng容róng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 容, the 宀 (roof) part points to holding or containing, and 公 gives the sound.

Open 容 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 華; 华 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 華 showed flowers on a plant, with stalk and leaves below. The simplified 华 is a later shorthand and not the original picture.

Open 华 →

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 貴; 贵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèimoney cowrie
Sound part声符shēngfú
臾
臾yú貴guì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貴 uses 貝, a money cowrie, for meaning and 臾 for sound. The simplified 贵 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the old parts.

Open 贵 →

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