万事如意
万事如意 (wàn shì rú yì) literally means “ten thousand things as you wish” and expresses “may everything go the way you want”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: wan shi ru yi, wan shi ru yi,万事如意 meaning, 万事如意 in english
May everything go the way you want
Pronunciation: wàn shì rú yì Literal meaning: Ten thousand things as you wish
Origin & Usage
Probably the most-used Chinese New Year wish of all. 万事 is 'ten thousand matters', meaning everything, and 如意 means 'as one wishes' — the same 如意 as the ruyi sceptre, a curved ornamental object given as a token of good fortune. A well-known early appearance is in Dream of the Red Chamber (《红楼梦》, chapter 53), inside a New Year letter of greetings from an estate steward to the Jia family: 'a great and happy spring, honour and peace, promotion and prosperity, and all things as you wish' (新春大喜大福，荣贵平安，加官进禄，万事如意). The line is already a New Year greeting, three centuries ago. Use it at the end of almost any greeting, to anyone.
Examples
English: "Happy New Year — may everything go just the way you wish."
Chinese: 祝您新年快乐，身体健康，万事如意！
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
吉祥如意
jí xiáng rú yì
Good fortune and fulfilment
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心想事成
xīn xiǎng shì chéng
May your wishes come true
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美意延年
měi yì yán nián
Cheerfulness brings a long life
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三阳开泰
sān yáng kāi tài
A fortunate new beginning
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喜气洋洋
xǐ qì yáng yáng
Radiating happiness
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洋洋大观
yáng yáng dà guān
A rich and impressive array
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吉星高照
jí xīng gāo zhào
May good fortune shine on you
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称心如意
chèn xīn rú yì
Perfectly satisfying every expectation
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 万事如意 mean in English?
万事如意 (wàn shì rú yì) literally translates to “Ten thousand things as you wish” and is used to express “May everything go the way you want”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 万事如意 used?
Situation: Happy New Year — may everything go just the way you wish.
What is the pinyin for 万事如意?
The pinyin pronunciation for 万事如意 is “wàn shì rú yì”.