明年春色倍还人

明年春色倍還人

míngnián chūnsè bèi huán rén

quotation

Meanings

1 next year spring will repay the people doubly
2 next year's beauty will make up for this year's loss
3 (lit.) next year's spring colors will return to people redoubled

Characters

to repay / return

Examples

HSK 7-9

今年花事平淡，盼明年春色倍还人。

Jīnnián huāshì píngdàn, pàn míngnián chūnsè bèi huán rén.

This year's blooms were modest, I hope next year's spring will make up for it in double.

HSK 7-9

虽逢困境，相信明年春色倍还人。

Suī féng kùnjìng, xiāngxìn míngnián chūnsè bèi huán rén.

Though we face hardship, I trust next year's spring will repay us twice over.

Tips

history

From Du Shenyan's (杜审言, Tang) 《春日京中有怀》, whose closing couplet runs 寄语洛城风日道，明年春色倍还人. Du Shenyan, grandfather of the poet 杜甫, wrote it pining for Luoyang while stranded in Chang'an. Classical commentators read 还 as 'huán' (to repay, return), not 'hái.'

usage

The character 还 is read huán here, not hái, it means 'to return/repay,' paired with 倍 ('doubly') as a promise of compensation. Common in farewell couplets written on doorframes or gifted at spring's end.

Stroke Order

明 míng

年 nián

春 chūn

色 sè

倍 bèi

还 hái

人 rén