禄 (lù): official salary / stipend (in i…

Meanings

1 official salary / stipend (in imperial China)
2 good fortune
3 blessing of prosperity

Characters

禄

lù

official salary / blessing

Examples

古代官员靠俸禄生活。

Gǔdài guānyuán kào fèng lù shēnghuó.

Officials in ancient times lived on their salary stipends.

福禄寿三星是中国传统的吉祥象征。

Fú Lù Shòu sānxīng shì Zhōngguó chuántǒng de jíxiáng xiàngzhēng.

The Three Stars of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity are traditional auspicious symbols in China.

Tips

culture

禄 is the middle of the auspicious trio 福禄寿 (Fú Lù Shòu) — Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity — three star deities depicted together in Chinese homes and Lunar New Year decorations. 禄 specifically embodies official career success and the salary that comes with it.

history

Throughout imperial China, an official's pay was called 俸禄 (fènglù), historically given as bushels of grain or 'rice stipends.' The phrase 高官厚禄 (gāo guān hòu lù, 'high office and generous salary') captures the traditional reward for passing the imperial examinations.

Components

radical

礻 shì

altar; spirit (radical form of 示)

Left altar radical — the indexing radical in its 4-stroke side form (compare full 示 standalone). Originally a stone altar with offerings, marking 禄 as belonging to the religious-blessing family with 福 (good fortune), 祥 (auspicious), 祸 (calamity). 禄 is heaven-sent salary: the official stipend granted by divine right.

phonetic

录 lù

to record; register

Right side 录 supplies the sound directly (lù → lù, exact match) and adds a fitting semantic flavor: official stipends were entered into government registers. The classical phrase 福禄寿 (fortune, salary, longevity) sums up the three things Confucian society prayed for from heaven.