📖 Meaning
永世 means eternally or for all generations, while 无穷 means without end or inexhaustible. Together the idiom describes something that lasts forever and never comes to an end. It is often used to express eternal duration, boundlessness, or a state that continues without exhaustion.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Book of Documents (尚书), in the chapter 'Charge to Weizi' (微子之命). After the Zhou dynasty overthrew the Shang, King Wu of Zhou granted Weizi—a virtuous descendant of the Shang royal house—the fief of Song, allowing him to continue the Shang ancestral line. The text states that Weizi would serve as an honored guest at the Zhou royal court, sharing in the state's prosperity, lasting forever without end. The phrase thus originally described an eternal, unbreakable bond of honor and privilege.
💡 Example Usage
两国人民的友谊将永世无穷。
The friendship between the peoples of the two nations shall last forever without end.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 永世无穷
- Pinyin: yǒng shì wú qióng
- Literal Translation: forever, generation, without, end
- Category: Philosophy
- Characters: 4