古来稀 (gǔ lái xī) episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 8, 2026 · 1 MIN

古来稀 (gǔ lái xī)

from Chinese Word of the Day | 每日一词 · host Gallant Guo

特师的每日一词,2026年1月9日的词汇是:古 gǔ 来 lái 稀 xī释义 Definition古来稀是指人活到七十岁高龄,自古以来就很稀少。"古 gǔ 来 lái 稀 xī" refers to the rarity of people living to the age of seventy, which has been uncommon since ancient times.例句 Example2026年1月2日的联合早报中,有篇标题为《不完美之美》的文章,作者李永乐是这样用这个词的:「说真的,即将步入『古来稀』的阶段,在历经岁月的大浪淘沙,从中剔除不切实际的幻想之后,越发能够接受『不完美也是美』的现实,而这绝对与悲观无关。」这里说的是人到七十岁后对生活的感悟。In a January 2, 2026 article titled 'The Beauty of Imperfection' in Lianhe Zaobao, author Li Yongle used the term as follows: 'Honestly, as I approach the stage of "古 gǔ 来 lái 稀 xī," after weathering the sands of time and discarding unrealistic fantasies, I increasingly accept the reality that imperfection is also beauty, and this has nothing to do with pessimism.' This illustrates the life reflections of someone over seventy.你知道吗? Did You Know?古来稀源自杜甫诗句「人生七十古来稀」,古代因医疗条件差,活到七十岁的人很少。类似说法有「六十花甲」「八十耄耋」。如今随着医疗进步,七十岁已不罕见,但这个词仍用来优雅地指代高龄,比如「爷爷虽到古来稀之年,仍坚持每天散步」。"古 gǔ 来 lái 稀 xī" originates from Du Fu's poetic line '人生七十古来稀,' reflecting that in ancient times, due to poor medical conditions, few lived to seventy. Similar terms include "六十花甲" (sixty years, marking a cycle) and "八十耄耋" (eighty years, denoting old age). Today, with medical advances, seventy is no longer rare, but the phrase is still used elegantly to refer to advanced age, e.g., 'Although Grandpa has reached the age of 古 gǔ 来 lái 稀 xī, he insists on walking daily.'

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