沧桑

• Pinyin: cāng sāng
• Hanzi breakdown: 沧 = 氵(water) + 仓 (phonetic, 'vast cold water'); 桑 = pictograph of a mulberry tree

Meaning

The vicissitudes of life; great changes over time. Conveys a sense of having weathered much hardship.

Short for 沧海桑田 ('the blue sea turns into mulberry fields'), a classical idiom for radical change. 沧桑 now stands alone to describe the look of someone aged by experience, or the passage of time bringing transformation.

Examples

1. 老人饱经沧桑的面容诉说着他那一代人所承受的苦难与坚韧。 The old man's face, worn by the vicissitudes of life, told the story of the suffering and resilience endured by his generation.
2. 百年间这座城市历经沧桑，从一个小渔村发展成了国际化大都市。 Over a century this city has weathered great changes, growing from a small fishing village into a cosmopolitan metropolis.
3. 他的眼神里透着一种沧桑感，仿佛见过了太多世事无常。 His eyes held a sense of world-weariness, as if he had seen far too many of life's uncertainties.

Usage Guide

Context: history, reflection, biography, literature, description

Tone: contemplative

Do Say

• 这栋老楼历经沧桑，见证了整个街区的兴衰变迁。(This old building has weathered great changes and witnessed the rise and fall of the whole neighbourhood.)
• 他虽年近七旬，却依然精神矍铄，丝毫没有沧桑落魄之感。(Though nearly seventy, he remains sharp and spirited, with no air of world-weariness.)

Don't Say

• 这次出差让我感到很沧桑。(沧桑 implies deep, long-term weathering — a business trip does not qualify; use 疲惫 or 辛苦)

Origin & History

Shortened from 沧海桑田: 沧海 (the vast blue sea) can become 桑田 (mulberry farmland) — a metaphor for the most drastic changes imaginable.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal