岁月蹉跎 — “Years idled away”
岁月蹉跎 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to waste one's time, especially one's youth or prime, doing nothing meaningful; to let years slip by idly and achieve nothing”. Literally, “Years idled away”.
岁月蹉跎 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 岁suì
- 月yuè
- 蹉cuō
- 跎tuó
岁月蹉跎 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 岁月蹉跎
Origin and Story of 岁月蹉跎
During the Tang Dynasty, the poet Li Qi passed the imperial examination (became a 'jinshi') at the age of 40 and served as the magistrate of Xinxiang County. Dissatisfied with his official career, he resigned and devoted himself to poetry creation.
When his friend Wei Wan was heading to the capital, Chang'an, to take the imperial examinations and seek official positions, Li Qi wrote him a farewell poem titled 'Sending Wei Wan to the Capital' (《送魏万之京》). In the poem, he warned his friend: 'Do not be enchanted by the pleasures of Chang'an, lest you idly let your years slip by.'
Idioms Related to 岁月蹉跎
More idioms starting with 岁
- suì岁bù不wǒ我yǔ与Time waits for no one
- suì岁fēng丰nián年rěn稔A year of abundant harvest
- suì岁zài在lóng龙shé虵one's fated time has come to an end
- suì岁zài在lóng龙shé蛇The fated time for one's demise
- suì岁hán寒sān三yǒu友Three Friends of Winter
- suì岁hán寒sōng松bǎi柏steadfast integrity in adversity
- suì岁hán寒zhī知sōng松bǎi柏Adversity reveals true character
- suì岁xù序gēng更xīn新the old year passes and the new year begins
- suì岁shí时fú伏là腊at the turn of the seasons
- suì岁mù暮tiān天hán寒cold bleak weather at year-end
- suì岁yuè月bù不jū居Time flies swiftly
- suì岁yuè月bù不dài待rén人Time waits for no one
Questions about 岁月蹉跎
- What does 岁月蹉跎 mean?
- 岁月蹉跎 (suì yuè cuō tuó) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to waste one's time, especially one's youth or prime, doing nothing meaningful; to let years slip by idly and achieve nothing”.
- How do you pronounce 岁月蹉跎?
- 岁月蹉跎 is pronounced suì yuè cuō tuó in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 岁月蹉跎 literally mean?
- Literally, 岁月蹉跎 means “Years idled away”. It is used to mean “to waste one's time, especially one's youth or prime, doing nothing meaningful; to let years slip by idly and achieve nothing”.
- Where does 岁月蹉跎 come from?
- 岁月蹉跎 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 岁月蹉跎?
- 指无所作为地把时间荒废掉了。