自求多福

Chinese

		from; self; oneself from; self; oneself; since	to seek; to look for; to request to seek; to look for; to request; to demand; to beseech	many; much; a lot of many; much; a lot of; numerous; multi-	good fortune; happiness; luck good fortune; happiness; luck; Fujian province (abbrev.); surname
trad. (自求多福)		自	求	多	福
simp. #(自求多福)		自	求	多	福

Etymology

From the Classic of Poetry, poem 235 (《詩經·大雅·文王》):

無念爾祖，聿脩厥德。
永言配命，自求多福。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]

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无念尔祖，聿脩厥德。
永言配命，自求多福。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Wú niàn ěr zǔ, yù xiū jué dé.
Yǒng yán pèi mìng, zì qiú duō fú. [Pinyin]

Ever think of your ancestor, Cultivating your virtue,
Always striving to accord with the will [of Heaven]. So shall you be seeking for much happiness.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zìqiúduōfú

  (Zhuyin): ㄗˋ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄈㄨˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zi⁶ kau⁴ do¹ fuk¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zìqiúduōfú
    • Zhuyin: ㄗˋ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄈㄨˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: zìhcióuduofú
    • Wade–Giles: tzŭ⁴-chʻiu²-to¹-fu²
    • Yale: dz̀-chyóu-dwō-fú
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzyhchyouduofwu
    • Palladius: цзыцюдофу (czycjudofu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sz̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ tu̯ɔ⁵⁵ fu³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zi⁶ kau⁴ do¹ fuk¹
    • Yale: jih kàuh dō fūk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzi⁶ kau⁴ do¹ fuk⁷
    • Guangdong Romanization: ji⁶ keo⁴ do¹ fug¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siː²² kʰɐu̯²¹ tɔː⁵⁵ fʊk̚⁵/

Idiom

自求多福

1. to seek well-being or welfare using one's own abilities