风水

• Pinyin: fēng shuǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 风 = 几 + 虫 (wind, air, qi flow); 水 = pictograph of flowing water (water, liquid, flow)

Meaning

Feng shui; the traditional Chinese system of arranging environments in harmony with natural forces to promote good fortune, health, and prosperity.

Rooted in Daoist cosmology and the concepts of 气 (qi/energy flow), 阴阳 (yin-yang), and the five elements. 风水 considers the orientation, surrounding landscape, and layout of spaces. Still widely practised in contemporary Chinese society for homes, buildings, and grave siting.

Examples

1. 这栋商业大楼在设计阶段便聘请了风水顾问对建筑朝向、入口布局及室内格局进行了系统评估，以期在商业运营中获得更好的气场条件。 During the design phase, this commercial high-rise hired a feng shui consultant to conduct a systematic assessment of the building’s orientation, entrance layout, and interior plan, hoping to create more favorable energy conditions for business operations.
2. 风水作为中国传统文化的重要组成部分，其核心理念是通过合理规划居住环境来实现人与自然之间的动态平衡与和谐共处。 As an important part of traditional Chinese culture, feng shui centers on achieving a dynamic balance and harmonious coexistence between people and nature through thoughtful planning of living environments.
3. 学界对于风水的态度历来分歧明显，一部分学者认为它是蕴含生态智慧的古代环境科学，另一部分则将其归入迷信范畴并持批判立场。 Academic views on feng shui have long been sharply divided: some scholars see it as an ancient form of environmental science containing ecological wisdom, while others classify it as superstition and take a critical stance.

Usage Guide

Context: culture, tradition, architecture, religion

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在华人社区中，关于住宅风水的考量至今仍是许多家庭在购房决策过程中不可忽视的重要因素，背门而坐、床位朝向等细节都受到高度重视。(In Chinese communities, considerations of residential feng shui remain an important factor that many families cannot overlook in their home-purchasing decisions — details such as sitting with one's back to the door and the orientation of the bed are given great importance.)
• 研究古城选址时发现，许多历史名城都体现出系统性的风水考量，与生态适宜性评估有共通之处。(When studying ancient city sites, researchers found that many historical cities reflect systematic feng shui considerations, which share some common ground with ecological suitability assessment.)

Don't Say

• 风水 dismissively in formal academic contexts without acknowledging its cultural significance — while its empirical claims are contested, 风水 carries deep cultural importance and warrants respectful framing

Origin & History

风 (wind) + 水 (water) — the traditional belief that the flow of wind and water in an environment determines its auspiciousness

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal