万岁
wàn suì
In Chinese, 'long live' is expressed as 万岁 (wàn suì).
万岁 is used as an exclamation to express support for an idea, a country or a person.
Meaning: prosper (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 万岁 literally means 'ten thousand years' or 'ten thousand ages'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'long live [subject]', place the subject before the phrase, such as '[Subject] 万岁'.
How do you pronounce it?
wàn suì
When do people say it?
Historically, this phrase was used almost exclusively to wish long life to an emperor.
Did you know?
- Historically, using 万岁 for anyone other than the Emperor could be considered a crime punishable by death. Only the sovereign was permitted to be associated with the number 'ten thousand' in this way.
- Because 万岁 was so strictly reserved for the Emperor, people in the past used the phrase 千岁 (one thousand years) when addressing the Empress or other high-ranking royals. This maintained a strict hierarchy of longevity.
- In modern casual slang, some people use 万岁 to express extreme excitement or 'victory' after completing a difficult task, similar to how an English speaker might shout 'Hooray!'
Examples in context
- 世界语万岁！Long live Esperanto!This sentence shows how to use 万岁 to express support for a language.Tatoeba #10192354 by iiujik, translation #9707166 by shekitten
- 自由魁北克万岁！Long live free Quebec!This sentence shows how to use 万岁 to express support for a political entity.Tatoeba #11758750 by Fenrir, translation #11758735 by Fenrir
- 苏联万岁！Long live the Soviet Union!This sentence shows how to use 万岁 to express support for a nation.Tatoeba #737317 by yujianing, translation #435498 by Clavain
- 希望您万寿无疆，健康快乐！Wishing you boundless longevity, good health, and happiness!
- 祝您福寿绵长，家庭幸福！Wishing you a long and blessed life, and a happy family!
- 祝你长命百岁，百岁无忧！Wishing you a long and carefree life!
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In a theater, a group of people celebrate a successful performance.
- 雨婷 Yuting艺术万岁！Yìshù wànsuì!Long live art!
- 志强 Zhiqiang没错，艺术万岁！Méicuò, yìshù wànsuì!That's right, long live art!
- 雨婷 Yuting志强，你也这么觉得吗？Zhìqiáng, nǐ yě zhème juéde ma?Zhiqiang, do you feel the same way?
- 志强 Zhiqiang当然，我们都要追求艺术。Dāngrán, wǒmen dōu yào zhuīqiú yìshù.Of course, we should all pursue art.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
