鹏程万里

• Pinyin: péng chéng wàn lǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 鹏 = 朋 + 鸟 (friend + bird — the great roc); 程 = 禾 + 呈 (grain + present — measured journey); 万 = ten thousand; 里 = 田 + 土 (field + earth — unit of distance)

Meaning

May your future be as boundless as the great roc's flight of ten thousand li; a wish for a brilliant and unlimited future ahead.

Based on the mythical giant bird 鹏 from Zhuangzi's 逍遥游, which soars ninety thousand li in a single journey. Used as a congratulatory expression at graduations, promotions, and new ventures. Conveys the highest hopes for someone's future prospects.

Examples

1. 毕业典礼上，校长祝福所有学生鹏程万里，在各自的领域大放光彩。 At the graduation ceremony, the principal wished all the students a boundless future and great success in their respective fields.
2. 朋友即将赴海外深造，同学们纷纷送上鹏程万里的美好祝愿。 A friend was about to go abroad for further study, and classmates all offered their best wishes for a bright future.
3. 他怀揣着鹏程万里的志向，只身踏上了创业之路。 With ambitions for a boundless future, he set off alone on the path of entrepreneurship.

Usage Guide

Context: celebration, graduation, ceremony, well-wishes

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 在送别晚宴上，部门领导举杯为即将离任的同事送上鹏程万里的祝福，感谢他多年来对团队的卓越贡献。(At the farewell dinner, the department head raised a toast to the departing colleague with wishes for boundless future success, thanking him for his outstanding contributions over the years.)
• 毕业典礼结束后，老师握着每位学生的手，语重心长地说：愿你们鹏程万里，不负韶华。(After the graduation ceremony, the teacher held each student's hand and said earnestly: May you soar to boundless heights and not waste your prime years.)

Don't Say

• 你最近鹏程万里吗 — this is a fixed congratulatory phrase, not a question about progress; use 最近发展顺利吗 to ask how someone is getting on

Origin & History

鹏 (mythical giant roc) + 程 (journey) + 万里 (ten thousand li) — allusion to Zhuangzi's 逍遥游, describing the roc's boundless flight

Cultural Context

Era: Classical — from Zhuangzi (庄子)

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal