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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: 「成」(To establish, form, or complete)+「家」(A family or household)+「立」(To set up, build, or stand)+「业」(A 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.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 2

Idiom Essay

chéng jiā lì yè
成家立业
Settling Down and Starting a Career
rén人de的yī shēng一生,zǒng总yǒu有nà 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,nǐ你kě néng可能hái还zài在piāo bó漂泊,hái还zài在xún zhǎo寻找,huò zhě或者hái还xí guàn yú习惯于yī lài依赖fù mǔ父母de的zhào gù照顾。

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

dàn但dào到le了mǒu某gè个shí kè时刻,shēng huó生活hū rán忽然biàn dé变得“shí实”le了qǐ lái起来。

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

nǐ你bù zài不再shì是yí gè一个rén人dào chù到处pǎo跑,ér shì而是yǒu有le了yī zhǎn一盏wèi为nǐ你liú留zhe着de的dēng灯;nǐ你bù zài不再pín fán频繁dì地huàn换gōng zuò工作,ér shì而是zhǎo dào找到le了yī fèn一份yuàn yì愿意wèi为zhī之nǔ lì努力de的shì 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lǐ里,yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常chuán tǒng传统de的chéng yǔ成语,yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè ge这个zhòng yào重要de的rén shēng人生jié diǎn节点,jiào叫“chéng 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shàng上kàn看,tā它bāo hán包含le了liǎng jiàn两件shì事。

Literally, it encompasses two things.

“chéng jiā成家”,shì是zǔ jiàn组建jiā tíng家庭;“lì yè立业”,shì是jiàn lì建立shì yè事业,huò zhě或者shuō说,yǒu有le了dú lì独立yǎng huó养活zì jǐ自己de的néng 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.

zài在chuán tǒng传统de的zhōng guó中国wén huà文化lǐ里,zhè这sì gè四个zì字de的fèn liàng分量hěn很zhòng重。

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

tā它wǎng wǎng往往bèi被kàn zuò看作yí gè一个rén人zhēn zhèng真正“zhǎng dà chéng rén长大成人”de的biāo zhì标志。

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

yǒu qù有趣de的shì是,wǒ men我们tí dào提到“chéng jiā lì yè成家立业”shí时,wǎng wǎng往往dài带zhe着yī zhǒng一种“ān dìng安定”de的yǔ qì语气。

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

tā它jīng cháng经常chū xiàn出现zài在fù mǔ父母de的kǒu zhōng口中。

It frequently appears in the mouths of parents.

dāng当tā men他们kàn dào看到hái zi孩子zhōng yú终于yǒu有le了zì jǐ自己de的xiǎo小jiā tíng家庭,gōng zuò工作yě也wěn dìng稳定le了,tā men他们huì会sōng yì kǒu qì松一口气,jué de觉得zì jǐ自己de的rèn wù任务wán chéng完成le了。

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huì会xīn wèi欣慰dì地shuō说:“hái zi孩子zhōng yú终于chéng jiā lì yè成家立业le了。”

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de的yā lì压力,zhè ge这个cí词miáo shù描述de的,gèng更xiàng像shì是yí gè一个rén人cóng从“jiē shòu接受zhào gù照顾”dào到“chéng dān承担zé rèn责任”de的zhuǎn 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.

tā它yì wèi zhe意味着,nǐ你zài在zhè ge这个shì jiè世界shàng上,zhōng yú终于zhā xià扎下le了gēn根。

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

bù guǎn不管wài miàn外面de的fēng yǔ风雨duō多dà大,nǐ你yǒu有le了shǔ yú属于zì jǐ自己de的qiáng墙,yě也yǒu有le了shǔ yú属于zì jǐ自己de的lù路。

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

zhè这,jiù shì就是“chéng jiā lì yè成家立业”dài gěi带给rén人de的gǎn jué感觉——yī zhǒng一种tà shí踏实、chéng shú成熟de的ān dìng安定gǎn感。

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

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