每天成语
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年逾古稀

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: nián yú gǔ xī
  • English Translation: Past the age of seventy (venerable age)
  • Idiom Composition: 「年」（Age or years）＋「逾」（To exceed or surpass）＋「古稀」（Seventy years of age (literally 'ancient rarity')）
  • Meaning: To be over seventy years old. This formal expression is used to describe someone who has reached a venerable age, often implying respect for their longevity and life experience.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「年逾古稀」 contains the following nuances:

  • Age Definition: While 古稀 (gǔ xī) specifically refers to the age of seventy, the character 逾 (yú) means 'to exceed.' Therefore, 年逾古稀 (nián yú gǔ xī) refers to someone who is in their seventies or older.
  • Tone and Respect: This idiom is more elegant and respectful than common terms for 'old.' It is preferred in formal writing, biographies, and news reports to acknowledge the subject's long life and accumulated wisdom.

3. Usage

「年逾古稀」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Introductions and Profiles: Used when introducing distinguished scholars, artists, or elders to convey a sense of dignity and respect for their age.
    • Example:「这位教授虽已年逾古稀，但依然坚持在大学授课。」
      （Although this professor is already over seventy years old, he still insists on teaching at the university.)
  • Describing Health and Vitality: Used to emphasize that someone is still active despite their age, or conversely, to explain why they might need extra care.
    • Example:「父亲年逾古稀，腿脚不太灵便，出门需要人搀扶。」
      （My father is past the age of seventy, and his legs are not very flexible, so he needs someone to support him when he goes out.)
  • Lifelong Achievements: Used to praise individuals who remain active or start new endeavors late in life.
    • Example:「他年逾古稀才开始学习绘画，如今已是小有名气的画家。」
      （He only started learning to paint after he was over seventy, and now he is a well-known artist.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 看着年逾古稀的父母，我希望能多花时间陪伴他们。
    （Looking at my parents who are over seventy years old, I wish I could spend more time with them.）
  2. 这位老中医年逾古稀，行医经验非常丰富。
    （This traditional Chinese medicine doctor is past seventy and has very rich clinical experience.）
  3. 虽然年逾古稀，他的思维却依然敏捷。
    （Although he is over seventy, his thinking is still very sharp.）
  4. 对于一位年逾古稀的老人来说，这样的长途旅行太辛苦了。
    （For an elderly person past the age of seventy, such a long trip is too strenuous.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The idiom originates from the poem Qujiang (曲江) by the famous Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu (杜甫). The line reads: 'Debts for wine are common wherever I go, but reaching seventy years of age has been rare since ancient times' (人生七十古来稀).
  • In Chinese culture, specific ages have poetic names. For example, 30 is 而立 (ér lì), 40 is 不惑 (bù huò), 50 is 知天命 (zhī tiān mìng), 60 is 花甲 (huā jiǎ), and 70 is 古稀 (gǔ xī).
  • In the modern era, living to seventy is no longer 'rare' (稀) due to medical advances, but the term remains a standard way to honor the elderly.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

  • Similar Idioms:
    • 古稀之年 (gǔ xī zhī nián): Refers to the age of seventy itself.
    • 耄耋之年 (mào dié zhī nián): Refers to an even more advanced age, specifically the eighties and nineties.
  • Opposite Idioms:

6. Summary

The idiom 年逾古稀 (nián yú gǔ xī) is derived from a famous Tang Dynasty poem. It combines 逾 (yú), meaning to exceed, with 古稀 (gǔ xī), a literary term for the age of seventy. It is a respectful and formal way to refer to the elderly in written Chinese, biographies, or formal introductions.

Idiom Essay

nián yú gǔ xī
年逾古稀
Over Seventy Years Old
zài在zhōng guó中国wén huà文化lǐ里，duì yú对于nián líng年龄，wǎng wǎng往往yǒu zhe有着fēi cháng非常xì zhì细致de的chēng hū称呼。

In Chinese culture, there are often very detailed terms for age.

tè bié特别shì是dāng当yí gè一个rén人màn màn慢慢biàn lǎo变老，dào到le了qī shí suì七十岁yǐ hòu以后，wǒ men我们bù jǐn不仅shì是yòng用shù zì数字lái来jì suàn计算tā他de的nián jì年纪，gèng更huì会yòng用yī zhǒng一种dài yǒu带有jìng yì敬意de的cí词lái来xíng róng形容。

Especially as a person grows older and reaches over seventy, we don't just use numbers to count their age, but use a respectful term to describe it.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语，jiù shì就是“nián yú gǔ xī年逾古稀”。

This idiom is 年逾古稀.

tā它de的zì miàn字面yì si意思qí shí其实hěn很jù tǐ具体。

Its literal meaning is actually quite specific.

“yú逾”，jiù shì就是chāo guò超过；ér而“gǔ xī古稀”，zhǐ指de的jiù shì就是qī shí suì七十岁。

逾 means to exceed, and 古稀 refers to seventy years of age.

zhè ge这个shuō fǎ说法lái zì来自táng dài唐代shī rén诗人dù fǔ杜甫de的yī jù一句shī诗：“rén shēng人生qī shí七十gǔ lái xī古来稀”。

This expression comes from a line by the Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu: 'Since ancient times, it is rare for a person to live to seventy.'

yì si意思shì是shuō说，zài在gǔ dài古代，shēng huó生活tiáo jiàn条件bù hǎo不好，néng能huó活dào到qī shí suì七十岁de的rén人shí zài实在tài太shǎo少le了，shì是fēi cháng非常xī yǒu稀有de的shì qíng事情。

It means that in ancient times, living conditions were poor, and people who could live to seventy were truly few and far between; it was a very rare thing.

nǐ你kě néng可能huì会xiǎng想：xiàn dài rén现代人de的shòu mìng寿命yǐ jīng已经hěn很zhǎng长le了，qī shí suì七十岁de的lǎo rén老人dào chù到处dōu都shì是，yì diǎn一点yě也bù不“xī yǒu稀有”le了，nà那zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语shì bú shì是不是guò shí过时le了ne呢？

You might think: modern life expectancy is very long, and seventy-year-olds are everywhere, no longer 'rare' at all, so is this idiom outdated?

qí shí其实bìng并méi yǒu没有。

Actually, it is not.

suī rán虽然qī shí suì七十岁zài在jīn tiān今天yǐ jīng已经bù zài不再hǎn jiàn罕见，dàn但wǒ men我们yī rán依然xǐ huān喜欢yòng用“nián yú gǔ xī年逾古稀”zhè ge这个cí词。

Although seventy is no longer rare today, we still like to use the term 年逾古稀.

yīn wèi因为dāng当wǒ men我们yòng用tā它de的shí hòu时候，bù zài不再shì是wèi le为了qiáng diào强调“shǎo少”，ér shì而是wèi le为了biǎo dá表达yī zhǒng一种“jìng zhòng敬重”。

Because when we use it, it is no longer to emphasize 'scarcity,' but to express a sense of 'respect.'

zhí jiē直接shuō说yí gè一个rén人“qī shí duō suì七十多岁le了”，tīng qǐ lái听起来zhǐ shì只是yí gè一个lěng bīng bīng冷冰冰de的shù zì数字；dàn但rú guǒ shuō如果说zhè wèi这位lǎo rén老人“nián yú gǔ xī年逾古稀”，tīng qǐ lái听起来jiù就yǒu有yī zhǒng一种hòu zhòng厚重de的lì shǐ历史gǎn感。

Simply saying someone is 'over seventy' sounds like a cold number; but saying an elder is 年逾古稀 carries a heavy sense of history.

tā它xiàng像shì是zài在shuō说：zhè wèi这位lǎo rén老人zǒu guò走过le了màn cháng漫长de的suì yuè岁月，jiàn guò见过le了hěn很duō多fēng fēng yǔ yǔ风风雨雨，zhè这běn shēn本身jiù shì就是yī jiàn一件hěn很liǎo bù qǐ了不起de的shì qíng事情。

It is like saying: this elder has walked through long years and seen many ups and downs, which in itself is a remarkable thing.

suǒ yǐ所以，tōng cháng通常wǒ men我们zài在bǐ jiào比较zhèng shì正式de的chǎng hé场合，huò zhě或者xiǎng yào想要biǎo dá表达zūn jìng尊敬de的shí hòu时候，cái才huì会yòng用zhè ge这个cí词。

Therefore, we usually use this term in formal occasions or when we want to express respect.

bǐ rú比如，nǐ你kàn dào看到yī wèi一位bái白tóu fà头发de的lǎo老jiào shòu教授hái还zài在jiān chí坚持xiě zuò写作，huò zhě或者yī wèi一位lǎo yé yé老爷爷suī rán虽然nián jì年纪dà大le了，shēn tǐ身体yī rán依然hěn很yìng lǎng硬朗。

For example, you see an old professor with white hair still writing persistently, or a grandfather who is still very healthy despite his age.

zhè shí hòu这时候，nǐ你kě yǐ可以shuō说：tā他suī rán虽然yǐ jīng已经nián yú gǔ xī年逾古稀，dàn但jīng shén精神yī rán依然hěn很hǎo好。

At this time, you can say: although he is already 年逾古稀, his spirit is still very good.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们，biàn lǎo变老bìng并bù不zhǐ shì只是yī jiàn一件lìng rén令人dān xīn担心de的shì qíng事情。

This idiom reminds us that growing old is not just something to worry about.

dāng当shēng mìng生命kuà yuè跨越le了qī shí nián七十年de的cháng dù长度，tā它suǒ所jī lěi积累de的jīng yàn经验hé和zhì huì智慧，jiù就yōng yǒu拥有yī zhǒng一种ān jìng安静ér而zhuāng yán庄严de的lì liàng力量。

When life spans seventy years, the accumulated experience and wisdom possess a quiet and solemn power.

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造句练习📝

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