📖 Meaning
One's children can be lined up in a row. It describes a family with many children. The idiom conveys the image of offspring being so numerous that they form a line.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from a poem by the Tang dynasty poet Du Fu titled 'To Hermit Wei Ba on Parting Again' (赠卫八处士). Du Fu wrote, 'When we parted years ago, you were not yet married; now your children suddenly form a row.' The poem reflects the passage of time and the bittersweet reunion between old friends after decades apart. The phrase has since become a vivid expression for having many children.
💡 Example Usage
老李一辈子务农，如今儿女成行，晚年十分幸福。
Old Li farmed all his life; now with a whole row of children, he is very happy in his later years.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 儿女成行
- Pinyin: ér nǚ chéng háng
- Literal Translation: children, form, a row
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4