Chinese word

风水

Pronunciation

Pinyinfēng shuǐ

Meaning

  • nounfeng shui

Example

摆放家具的时候要注意风水。bǎi fàng jiā jù de shí hòu yào zhù yì fēng shuǐ

Pay attention to feng shui when arranging furniture.

Illustration for 风水 (feng shui)

More examples

一些房地产广告会强调小区的风水好坏。yì xiē fáng dì chǎn guǎng gào huì qiáng diào xiǎo qū de fēng shuǐ hǎo huài

Some real estate ads emphasize whether the feng shui of the residential complex is good or bad.

Core concept

A reading of the surrounding world in which wind, water, land, direction, and placement form a pattern linked with human fortune.

Common phrases

  • 民间风水mín jiān fēng shuǐ

    folk feng shui

  • 风水观念fēng shuǐ guān niàn

    feng shui beliefs

  • 依靠风水yī kào fēng shuǐ

    rely on feng shui

Similar words

风水学fēng shuǐ xué: A field that systematically studies how direction, terrain, and placement relate to fortune.
风水师fēng shuǐ shī: A professional who advises on the placement of homes or graves using traditional fortune readings.
民间信仰mín jiān xìn yǎng: A locally inherited belief or practice with religious or superstitious meaning.

Definition in Chinese

原指堪舆术，现常用来指根据方位、地形和物品摆放等来判断吉凶并求取吉利的民间习俗与学问。yuán zhǐ kān yú shù xiàn cháng yòng lái zhǐ gēn jù fāng wèi dì xíng hé wù pǐn bǎi fàng děng lái pàn duàn jí xiōng bìng qiú qǔ jí lì de mín jiān xí sú yǔ xué wèn

Word origin

The name 风 (fēng, "wind") + 水 (shuǐ, "water") highlights the natural forces and terrain traditionally read as signs of favorable or unfavorable conditions.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, this word is broader than room decoration: it can frame a whole place as suitable or unsuitable without naming a specific object or design choice.

Opposites

Related words

  • 风水理论fēng shuǐ lǐ lùnfeng shui theorynoun
  • 风水禁忌fēng shuǐ jìn jìfeng shui taboosnoun

Word lists with this word