Chinese word

天长地久

Pronunciation

Pinyintiān cháng dì jiǔ

Meaning

  • idiomlast forever

Example

希望我们的友谊能天长地久。xī wàng wǒ men de yǒu yì néng tiān cháng dì jiǔ

I hope our friendship lasts forever.

Illustration for 天长地久 (last forever)

More examples

诗人用天长地久来表达对永恒的向往。shī rén yòng tiān cháng dì jiǔ lái biǎo dá duì yǒng héng de xiàng wǎng

The poet uses 天长地久 (tiānchángdìjiǔ, "lasting forever") to express a longing for eternity.

Core concept

Time or affection continues on an almost cosmic scale, remaining firm rather than fading.

Common phrases

  • 祝愿天长地久zhù yuàn tiān cháng dì jiǔ

    wish it would last forever

  • 祝福天长地久zhù fú tiān cháng dì jiǔ

    bless it to last forever

Similar words

地久天长dì jiǔ tiān cháng: Describes time, feelings, or bonds lasting forever with a timeless, enduring quality.
白头偕老bái tóu xié lǎo: A blessing for a married couple to grow old together and remain loving throughout life.
永垂不朽yǒng chuí bù xiǔ: Describes achievements or works remembered and honored by people in later generations.
千秋万代qiān qiū wàn dài: Continuing through many ages and passing from one generation to the next.

Definition in Chinese

形容时间或感情像天地一样长久，永不改变，常用于祝福或诗歌中。xíng róng shí jiān huò gǎn qíng xiàng tiān dì yí yàng cháng jiǔ yǒng bù gǎi biàn cháng yòng yú zhù fú huò shī gē zhōng

Word origin

The idiom combines 天 (tiān, "sky") + 长 (cháng, "long") + 地 (dì, "earth") + 久 (jiǔ, "lasting") to picture time or feelings continuing as steadily as the sky and earth.

Usage tips

  • For a plain statement among friends, this idiom can sound ceremonious, so everyday speech often uses less formal wording.

Other meanings

  • eternalidiom
  • enduringidiom

Opposites

  • 转瞬即逝zhuǎn shùn jí shìvanish in an instantidiom
  • 一朝一夕yì zhāo yì xīend in a short timeidiom

Word lists with this word