万象更新
wàn xiàng gēng xīn
everything takes on a new look
Character by character
万wàn
ten thousand
ten thousand
象xiàng
appearances
appearances
更gēng
change
change
新xīn
new
new
Example
新春到来，万象更新，我们也该定一定今年的计划了。
The new year is here and everything is fresh again: time we made our plans for the year.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
Usually paired with 一元复始 (“the cycle starts again”) in New Year speeches, couplets and cards. 更 here is gēng, “to change”.
Learn this in Lesson 40 · HSK 5–6: 今天怎么过年 (The New Year today)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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