<p>This observation is merely coincidental. The first 4 characters need not come from classical Chinese idiom (成語), and the remaining 3 are by no means random.</p>
<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couplet_(Chinese_poetry)" rel="noreferrer">Couplet (Duilian)</a> has specific rules. The linked article has a list of requirements and its etymology.</p>
<p>For example, the cliché duilian</p>
<blockquote>
<p>天增歲月人添壽</p>
<p>春滿乾坤福滿門</p>
</blockquote>
<p>&quot;天增歲月&quot; is not a recognized chengyu, but means &quot;As heaven attains greater age&quot;; &quot;人添壽&quot; is not random but has to relate to it, meaning &quot;people enjoy longer years&quot;.</p>
<p>Moreover, a line of 7 characters is common but it is not a requirement.</p>
<p>For example, the famous (but modern (19th century)) couplet in <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%88%90%E9%83%BD%E6%AD%A6%E4%BE%AF%E7%A5%A0" rel="noreferrer">Temple of Zhuge Liang</a> in Chengdu</p>
<blockquote>
<p>能攻心則反側自消從古知兵非好戰</p>
<p>不審勢即寬嚴皆誤後來治蜀要深思</p>
</blockquote>
<p>also meet the requirement.</p>
<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/wAxhp.jpg" alt="Duilian" /></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-22T04:13:35.340Z
2015-03-22T04:13:35.340Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
SYK
<p>I keep seeing parts of <strong>modern</strong> <em>duilian</em>'s made of one 成语 + three random characters.</p>

<p>Something like: <code>国泰民安 + 增财富</code></p>

<ul>
<li>How did <em>duilian</em> evolve to this level? </li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-20T21:05:07.607Z
seems kind of a generalization... can you provide more examples?  Where do these duilian come from/where do you see them?  I know some high school teachers in China with very good Chinese (i.e., rigorous classical education) who can write terrific duilian, but I wouldn't expect the same quality from a pair you buy in a store, for example...
Master Sparkles
<poetry>
Why Have Modern *duilian*'s become 成语+3 Random Characters?
# Why Have Modern *duilian*'s become 成语+3 Random Characters?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-03-20)

I keep seeing parts of **modern** *duilian*'s made of one 成语 + three random characters.

Something like: `国泰民安 + 增财富`

* How did *duilian* evolve to this level?

**Tags:** poetry

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: seems kind of a generalization... can you provide more examples?  Where do these duilian come from/where do you see them?  I know some high school teachers in China with very good Chinese (i.e., rigorous classical education) who can write terrific duilian, but I wouldn't expect the same quality from a pair you buy in a store, for example...  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-03-22. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

This observation is merely coincidental. The first 4 characters need not come from classical Chinese idiom (成語), and the remaining 3 are by no means random.

[Couplet (Duilian)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couplet_(Chinese_poetry)) has specific rules. The linked article has a list of requirements and its etymology.

For example, the cliché duilian

> 天增歲月人添壽
>
> 春滿乾坤福滿門

"天增歲月" is not a recognized chengyu, but means "As heaven attains greater age"; "人添壽" is not random but has to relate to it, meaning "people enjoy longer years".

Moreover, a line of 7 characters is common but it is not a requirement.

For example, the famous (but modern (19th century)) couplet in [Temple of Zhuge Liang](http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%88%90%E9%83%BD%E6%AD%A6%E4%BE%AF%E7%A5%A0) in Chengdu

> 能攻心則反側自消從古知兵非好戰
>
> 不審勢即寬嚴皆誤後來治蜀要深思

also meet the requirement.

![Duilian](https://i.sstatic.net/wAxhp.jpg)


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