福如东海
福如东海 (fú rú dōng hǎi) literally means “blessings like the eastern sea” and expresses “may your good fortune be boundless”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: fu ru dong hai, fu ru dong hai,福如东海 meaning, 福如东海 in english
May your good fortune be boundless
Pronunciation: fú rú dōng hǎi Literal meaning: Blessings like the Eastern Sea
Origin & Usage
福 is 'blessing' or 'good fortune', 如 is 'like', and 东海 is the Eastern Sea, the ocean off China's east coast. The wish is for good fortune as boundless as the sea. It is an old formula of congratulation: the Hanyu dictionary cites a Dunhuang lecture text of 933 (《长兴四年中兴殿应圣节讲经文》), and later dramas such as 《荆钗记》 (Yuan–Ming era) show it already joined to its partner: 'may your fortune be like the Eastern Sea, your years like the Southern Mountains' (福如东海，寿比南山). The two halves are almost always said together, as a birthday wish for an elder, especially at a sixtieth, seventieth or eightieth. At Chinese New Year it is used the same way, for grandparents and older relatives. It sounds odd said to someone young.
Examples
English: "On Grandma's eightieth birthday we wished her blessings as vast as the Eastern Sea and a life as long as the Southern Mountains."
Chinese: 祝爷爷福如东海，寿比南山！
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
五福临门
wǔ fú lín mén
May every kind of good fortune come to your home
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福星高照
fú xīng gāo zhào
May good luck and blessings follow you
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恭喜发财
gōng xǐ fā cái
Wishing you a prosperous New Year
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年年有余
nián nián yǒu yú
May you have more than enough, year after year
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岁岁平安
suì suì píng ān
May you stay safe and well every year
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大吉大利
dà jí dà lì
May everything be lucky and go smoothly
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花开富贵
huā kāi fù guì
May your life flourish in wealth and status
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金玉满堂
jīn yù mǎn táng
May your home overflow with wealth
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 福如东海 mean in English?
福如东海 (fú rú dōng hǎi) literally translates to “Blessings like the Eastern Sea” and is used to express “May your good fortune be boundless”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 福如东海 used?
Situation: On Grandma's eightieth birthday we wished her blessings as vast as the Eastern Sea and a life as long as the Southern Mountains.
What is the pinyin for 福如东海?
The pinyin pronunciation for 福如东海 is “fú rú dōng hǎi”.