Meaning of 永远
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- forever
- eternal
How to use 永远
永远 is an adverb, so it usually comes before the verb or before 不 / 没 to mean never. It is common in promises, songs and emotional speech. Example: 我永远爱你。(Wǒ yǒngyuǎn ài nǐ.) I will love you forever.
Think of 永 (yǒng) as a long river that keeps flowing, and 远 (yuǎn) as far away, the same 远 you see in 远方 (yuǎnfāng, far away). Put together, something that flows on and reaches far into the future is forever.
Common mistake: Learners often put 永远 after the verb, as in 我爱你永远, copying English word order. In Chinese it goes before the verb: 我永远爱你. Also watch the tones: both syllables are third tone, so in speech 永 changes to a rising tone, sounding like yóngyuǎn.
永远 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
永 yǒng · long · 5 strokes
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- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
远 yuǎn · far · 7 strokes
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- 2
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- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 永远.
| 跳远 | tiàoyuǎn | long jump (athletics) |
| 远处 | yuǎnchù | distant place |
| 远离 | yuǎnlí | to be far from; to keep away from |
| 远远 | yuǎnyuǎn | distant; by far |
| 远方 | yuǎnfāng | far away; a distant location |
| 长远 | chángyuǎn | long-term; long-range |
| 永不 | yǒng bù | never; will never |
| 遥远 | yáoyuǎn | distant; remote |
| 永恒 | yǒnghéng | eternal; everlasting |
| 望远镜 | wàngyuǎnjìng | telescope (CL:部[bu4]); binoculars (CL:副[fu4]) |
| 永久 | yǒngjiǔ | everlasting; perpetual |
| 远程 | yuǎnchéng | remote; long distance |
Questions about 永远
What does 永远 mean?
永远 (yǒngyuǎn) means "forever; eternal" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 永远?
永远 is made of 2 characters: 永 (5 strokes), 远 (7 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 永远 an HSK word?
Yes. 永远 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 永远 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 永远 is written 永遠.
How do you say never with 永远?
Put 永远 before 不 or 没: 我永远不会忘记你 (Wǒ yǒngyuǎn bú huì wàngjì nǐ) means I will never forget you. This is a very natural pattern.
What is the difference between 永远 and 一直?
一直 (yìzhí) means continuously or all along, often about a period up to now, like 他一直在等 (he has been waiting the whole time). 永远 means forever with no end, and often points to the future.