前程似锦

Pronunciation: qián chéng sì jǐn Literal meaning: The road ahead is like brocade

Origin & Usage

A wish for a bright future. 前程 is the road ahead, one's prospects, and 似锦 means 'like brocade', the richly patterned silk that stands for beauty and splendour in Chinese (as in 锦绣, 'splendid'). There is no classical source for this phrase. Zdic has no entry for it, and the Taiwan Ministry of Education dictionary defines it without any historical citation, only a modern example of a principal blessing graduates. The earliest use found for this entry is in 《雍正剑侠图》, a martial-arts novel of the early twentieth century, where an old man praises a young fighter with 将来万里鹏搏，前程似锦. It is a close partner of 鹏程万里. Use it for students, graduates and young people starting out, at New Year or at graduation.

Examples

English: "The principal's New Year message wished every student a future as bright and rich as brocade."

Chinese: 新年快乐！祝你学业进步，前程似锦！