📖 Meaning
The idiom depicts bamboo growing thick and pine flourishing lushly. It serves as a metaphor for a prosperous and thriving family or household. It is also commonly used to congratulate someone on the completion of a new home.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom traces back to the Classic of Poetry (诗经), specifically the poem 'Si Gan' (斯干) in the Minor Odes (小雅) section, compiled during the Zhou Dynasty. The original lines read '如竹苞矣，如松茂矣' — 'like bamboo growing thick, like pine flourishing lushly.' The poem was composed to celebrate the completion of a royal palace and to bless the household with lasting prosperity. Over centuries, the phrase evolved into a conventional congratulatory expression for new homes and family flourishing.
💡 Example Usage
新居落成之际，祝愿贵府竹苞松茂，家业日益兴旺。
On the occasion of your new home's completion, I wish your household lasting prosperity and a thriving family enterprise.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 竹苞松茂
- Pinyin: zhú bāo sōng mào
- Literal Translation: bamboo, luxuriant, pine, flourishing
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4