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成家立业

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: chéng jiā lì yè
  • English Translation: To get married and establish a career (settle down)
  • Idiom Composition: To establish, form, or completeA family or householdTo set up, build, or standA career, profession, or business
  • Meaning: To get married and start a family while also establishing a stable career or business. It describes the state of becoming a socially and economically independent adult.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

成家立业 contains the following nuances:

  • The Two Pillars of Adulthood: The idiom combines 成家 (chéng jiā), meaning to get married, and 立业 (lì yè), meaning to establish a career. In traditional Chinese culture, achieving both is seen as the definitive mark of a mature adult.
  • Economic Independence: Beyond the social act of marriage, the term strongly implies having the financial means to support a household independently without relying on one's parents.

3. Usage

成家立业 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Parental Expectations: Used when parents hope for their children's independence or express relief when their children become self-sufficient.
    • Example:看着孩子们一个个成家立业,父母终于可以放心了。
      Seeing their children get married and settle down one by one, the parents finally felt at ease.)
  • Life Milestones: Used to describe the transition from youth to a stable, mature stage of life.
    • Example:他在三十岁之前就已经成家立业,是同龄人中的佼佼者。
      He had already established a family and a career before the age of thirty, making him a standout among his peers.)
  • Sense of Responsibility: Used to highlight the maturity and stability that comes with having professional and family responsibilities.
    • Example:男人成家立业后,往往会变得更加成熟稳重。
      After a man settles down and builds a career, he often becomes more mature and stable.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 现在的年轻人压力很大,想要在大城市成家立业并不容易。
    Young people today face a lot of pressure; it is not easy to get married and establish a career in a big city.
  2. 他虽然年纪轻轻,却已经成家立业,过上了安稳的生活。
    Although he is young, he has already settled down with a family and a career, living a stable life.
  3. 为了能够早日成家立业,他工作非常努力。
    He is working very hard so that he can start a family and establish himself as soon as possible.
  4. 等到你成家立业了,就会明白父母当年的苦心。
    Once you have a family and a career of your own, you will understand the hard work your parents put in back then.

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • In traditional Chinese culture, particularly within Confucian (孔子) values, getting married to continue the family line and establishing a career are considered essential acts of filial piety.
  • While the traditional sequence was 'marriage first, career second,' modern society often prioritizes 'career first, marriage second' due to intense economic competition and the desire for financial stability before starting a family.
  • In contemporary China, the rising cost of living and housing has made 成家立业 (chéng jiā lì yè) a significant source of pressure for the younger generation, often referred to as the 'three mountains' of housing, education, and healthcare.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

成家立业 (chéng jiā lì yè) is a traditional Chinese idiom that defines the standard for adult success: getting married and building a career. It is often used by parents expressing hope for their children's future or to describe a person who has reached a stable stage in life.

Idiom Essay

chéng jiā lì yè
成家立业
Settling Down and Starting a Career
réndeyī shēng一生zǒngyǒunà me那么yí gè一个jiē duàn阶段

In a person's life, there is always such a stage.

zài cǐ zhī qián在此之前kě néng可能háizàipiāo bó漂泊háizàixún zhǎo寻找huò zhě或者háixí guàn yú习惯于yī lài依赖fù mǔ父母dezhào gù照顾

Before this, you might still be drifting, searching, or used to relying on your parents' care.

dàndàolemǒushí kè时刻shēng huó生活hū rán忽然biàn dé变得shíleqǐ lái起来

But at a certain moment, life suddenly becomes more solid.

bù zài不再shìyí gè一个réndào chù到处pǎoér shì而是yǒuleyī zhǎn一盏wèiliúzhededēngbù zài不再pín fán频繁huàngōng zuò工作ér shì而是zhǎo dào找到leyī fèn一份yuàn yì愿意wèizhīnǔ lì努力deshì qíng事情

You are no longer running around alone, but have a lamp kept on for you; you no longer change jobs frequently, but have found something you are willing to work hard for.

zhōng wén中文yǒuyí gè一个fēi cháng非常chuán tǒng传统dechéng yǔ成语yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè ge这个zhòng yào重要derén shēng人生jié diǎn节点jiàochéng jiā lì yè成家立业

In Chinese, there is a very traditional idiom used to describe this important life milestone, called 成家立业.

zì miàn字面shàngkànbāo hán包含leliǎng jiàn两件shì

Literally, it encompasses two things.

chéng jiā成家shìzǔ jiàn组建jiā tíng家庭lì yè立业shìjiàn lì建立shì yè事业huò zhě或者shuōyǒuledú lì独立yǎng huó养活zì jǐ自己denéng lì能力

成家 means starting a family; 立业 means establishing a career, or in other words, having the ability to support oneself independently.

zàichuán tǒng传统dezhōng guó中国wén huà文化zhèsì gè四个defèn liàng分量hěnzhòng

In traditional Chinese culture, these four characters carry a lot of weight.

wǎng wǎng往往bèikàn zuò看作yí gè一个rénzhēn zhèng真正zhǎng dà chéng rén长大成人debiāo zhì标志

It is often seen as a sign that a person has truly grown up.

yǒu qù有趣deshìwǒ men我们tí dào提到chéng jiā lì yè成家立业shíwǎng wǎng往往dàizheyī zhǒng一种ān dìng安定deyǔ qì语气

Interestingly, when we mention 成家立业, it often carries a tone of stability.

jīng cháng经常chū xiàn出现zàifù mǔ父母dekǒu zhōng口中

It frequently appears in the mouths of parents.

dāngtā men他们kàn dào看到hái zi孩子zhōng yú终于yǒulezì jǐ自己dexiǎojiā tíng家庭gōng zuò工作wěn dìng稳定letā men他们huìsōng yì kǒu qì松一口气jué de觉得zì jǐ自己derèn wù任务wán chéng完成le

When they see their child finally has their own small family and a stable job, they breathe a sigh of relief, feeling their task is complete.

zhè shí hòu这时候tā men他们huìxīn wèi欣慰shuōhái zi孩子zhōng yú终于chéng jiā lì yè成家立业le

At this time, they will say with relief: "The child has finally 成家立业."

qí shí其实pāo kāi抛开chuán tǒng传统deyā lì压力zhè ge这个miáo shù描述degèngxiàngshìyí gè一个réncóngjiē shòu接受zhào gù照顾dàochéng dān承担zé rèn责任dezhuǎn biàn转变

Actually, putting aside traditional pressure, what this term describes is more like a person's transition from receiving care to taking on responsibility.

yì wèi zhe意味着zàizhè ge这个shì jiè世界shàngzhōng yú终于zhā xià扎下legēn

It means that you have finally taken root in this world.

bù guǎn不管wài miàn外面defēng yǔ风雨duōyǒuleshǔ yú属于zì jǐ自己deqiángyǒuleshǔ yú属于zì jǐ自己de

No matter how strong the wind and rain are outside, you have your own walls and your own path.

zhèjiù shì就是chéng jiā lì yè成家立业dài gěi带给réndegǎn jué感觉yī zhǒng一种tà shí踏实chéng shú成熟deān dìng安定gǎn

This is the feeling that 成家立业 brings to people—a sense of grounded, mature stability.

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