Chinese word

知足常乐

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhī zú cháng lè

Meaning

  • idiomcontentment brings happiness

Example

他一直信奉知足常乐的生活态度。tā yì zhí xìn fèng zhī zú cháng lè de shēng huó tài dù

He has always believed in a way of life based on the idea that contentment brings happiness.

Illustration for 知足常乐 (contentment brings happiness)

More examples

取得小成就后，他仍然保持知足常乐的心态。qǔ dé xiǎo chéng jiù hòu tā réng rán bǎo chí zhī zú cháng lè de xīn tài

After achieving a small success, he still maintains a mindset of contentment and happiness.

Core concept

Recognizing that one has enough turns contentment into lasting peace and happiness.

Common phrases

  • 过上知足常乐的生活guò shàng zhī zú cháng lè de shēng huó

    live a life of contentment and happiness

Similar words

知足zhī zú: Feeling satisfied with one's possessions and present situation.
乐在其中lè zài qí zhōng: Taking pleasure in the situation or work one is engaged in.

Definition in Chinese

懂得满足自己的需要，从而长期保持内心平和与快乐的处世观念。dǒng de mǎn zú zì jǐ de xū yào cóng ér cháng qī bǎo chí nèi xīn píng hé yǔ kuài lè de chǔ shì guān niàn

Word origin

知足常乐 (zhīzúchánglè, "contentment brings happiness") is built from 知 (zhī, "know") + 足 (zú, "enough") and 常 (cháng, "always") + 乐 (lè, "happiness"), making contentment a path to steady joy.

Usage tips

  • As a motto, the idiom can frame modest living positively, but it may sound dismissive if used to respond to someone describing a serious ambition or unmet goal.

Opposites

  • 贪得无厌tān dé wú yànbe insatiably greedyidiom

Related words

Word lists with this word