<p>Of course it exists in Mandarin. I didn't know it is a Cantonese expression. Maybe it should be just "Chinese expression".</p>

<p>I cannot answer whether the meaning are the same. I don't know Cantonese. But I think the meaning should be the same in Cantonese and Mandarin.</p>

<p>"五福" comes form <a href="https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikisource/zh/w/index.php?title=%E5%B0%9A%E6%9B%B8/%E6%B4%AA%E7%AF%84&amp;variant=zh-hans">《尚书·洪范》</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>五福：一曰寿，二曰富，三曰康宁，四曰攸(yōu)好(hào)德，五曰考终命。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>which are long life, being rich, being healthy, clement, having a peaceful end (death). It may or may not be related to the number meaning of five, I don't know. Maybe the original author picked five because five is a good number.</p>

<p>And currently, most Chinese cannot list what "五福" are, though "五福临门" is commonly used.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T10:45:17.513Z
Oh, then it's weird I didn't find it... What about that "five"?
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T11:05:24.187Z
@Alenanno, I have to look up what "五福" are.
fefe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T13:55:43.200Z
I can't list the "five" until I read the source. By the way, it seems the link is blocked. I can't browse it.
Huang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T13:57:52.277Z
@Huang The link is from wikisource.
fefe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T14:03:33.857Z
@fefe I really can't browse it. I guess it's blocked by something.Anyway, thanks. I am sure to find and read the source.
Huang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-28T07:47:13.513Z
I don't think this term is common in Mandarin. It's more common in Cantonese.
velut luna
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-16T10:44:31.023Z
2012-01-16T14:08:37.313Z
2012-01-16T14:08:37.313Z
fefe
<p>A recent question prompted me to look for expressions related to the Chinese New Year and, among them, I found one that particularly stroke me as interesting:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>五福臨門  = according to the poster it means: <em>&quot;five happinesses bestowed on your household&quot;</em></p>
<p><sup>Source: <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,77140,77140" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Chinese New Year phrases</a>, third post by &quot;14k Guy&quot;, 7<sup>th</sup> expression listed.</sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p>I suppose that the pronunciation provided is Cantonese, since the site seems to be related to Cantonese.</p>
<p>Anyway, looking up the expression as a whole doesn't give any results in Mandarin, apparently, whereas looking up each character alone, the meaning seems to match... So I wonder, does this expression exist in current Mandarin as well? If not, is there an equivalent?</p>
<p>In both cases, I'd like to know why &quot;five happenesses&quot;, is it related to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbers_in_Chinese_culture#Five" rel="nofollow noreferrer">number meanings</a> in Chinese culture?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-13T07:36:49.287Z
It exists in both Cantonese and Mandarin.
leeanna woo
<mandarin><expressions><cantonese>
Is the cantonese expression 五福臨門 present in Mandarin too?
# Is the cantonese expression 五福臨門 present in Mandarin too?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-01-16)

A recent question prompted me to look for expressions related to the Chinese New Year and, among them, I found one that particularly stroke me as interesting:

> 五福臨門 = according to the poster it means: *"five happinesses bestowed on your household"*
>
> Source: [Chinese New Year phrases](http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,77140,77140), third post by "14k Guy", 7th expression listed.

I suppose that the pronunciation provided is Cantonese, since the site seems to be related to Cantonese.

Anyway, looking up the expression as a whole doesn't give any results in Mandarin, apparently, whereas looking up each character alone, the meaning seems to match... So I wonder, does this expression exist in current Mandarin as well? If not, is there an equivalent?

In both cases, I'd like to know why "five happenesses", is it related to the [number meanings](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbers_in_Chinese_culture#Five) in Chinese culture?

**Tags:** mandarin, expressions, cantonese

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It exists in both Cantonese and Mandarin.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2012-01-16. Score: 7

Of course it exists in Mandarin. I didn't know it is a Cantonese expression. Maybe it should be just "Chinese expression".

I cannot answer whether the meaning are the same. I don't know Cantonese. But I think the meaning should be the same in Cantonese and Mandarin.

"五福" comes form [《尚书·洪范》](https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikisource/zh/w/index.php?title=%E5%B0%9A%E6%9B%B8/%E6%B4%AA%E7%AF%84&variant=zh-hans):

> 五福：一曰寿，二曰富，三曰康宁，四曰攸(yōu)好(hào)德，五曰考终命。

which are long life, being rich, being healthy, clement, having a peaceful end (death). It may or may not be related to the number meaning of five, I don't know. Maybe the original author picked five because five is a good number.

And currently, most Chinese cannot list what "五福" are, though "五福临门" is commonly used.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Oh, then it's weird I didn't find it... What about that "five"?  
> **username_2**: @username_0, I have to look up what "五福" are.  
> **username_3**: I can't list the "five" until I read the source. By the way, it seems the link is blocked. I can't browse it.  
> **username_2**: @username_3 The link is from wikisource.  
> **username_3**: @username_2 I really can't browse it. I guess it's blocked by something.Anyway, thanks. I am sure to find and read the source.  
> **username_4**: I don't think this term is common in Mandarin. It's more common in Cantonese.  

---

