岁岁平安
岁岁平安 (suì suì píng ān) literally means “year after year, peace and safety” and expresses “may you stay safe and well every year”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: sui sui ping an, sui sui ping an,岁岁平安 meaning, 岁岁平安 in english
May you stay safe and well every year
Pronunciation: suì suì píng ān Literal meaning: Year after year, peace and safety
Origin & Usage
A traditional blessing with no single source text. 岁岁 means 'every year' and 平安 'safe and sound'. It was already a stock auspicious phrase in the Qing dynasty. In 《红楼梦》 chapter 29, Daoist priests send Jia Baoyu a tray of gold and jade trinkets, some inscribed 事事如意 ('everything as you wish') and some 岁岁平安. The Qing notebook 《啸亭续录》 records that at the end of each year senior princes and ministers received a 岁岁平安 purse from the emperor. Today the phrase has a second life as a pun. 岁 sounds like 碎 ('broken'), so if someone drops a bowl or glass during the New Year, when breaking things feels unlucky, others quickly say 碎碎平安 to turn the accident into a good omen. It is a gentle, all-purpose wish, especially fitting for elders and family.
Examples
English: "Don't worry about the broken plate; at New Year we just say it means peace and safety for the year ahead."
Chinese: 不小心打碎了碗，奶奶连忙说：“碎碎平安，岁岁平安！”
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
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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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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五福临门
wǔ fú lín mén
May every kind of good fortune come to your home
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金玉满堂
jīn yù mǎn táng
May your home overflow with wealth
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福星高照
fú xīng gāo zhào
May good luck and blessings follow you
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财源广进
cái yuán guǎng jìn
May money come to you from every direction
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 岁岁平安 mean in English?
岁岁平安 (suì suì píng ān) literally translates to “Year after year, peace and safety” and is used to express “May you stay safe and well every year”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 岁岁平安 used?
Situation: Don't worry about the broken plate; at New Year we just say it means peace and safety for the year ahead.
What is the pinyin for 岁岁平安?
The pinyin pronunciation for 岁岁平安 is “suì suì píng ān”.