tomb built during one's lifetime; pre-burial tomb
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
tomb or grave constructed during one's lifetime; pre-burial tomb; longevity tomb
literaryRefers to the traditional Chinese practice, particularly among the wealthy or status-conscious, of selecting a burial site and constructing a tomb while still alive. Often synonymous with 寿穴 (shòu xué). The term is literary and rarely encountered in modern colloquial speech.
Gǔ古
rén人
cháng常
yú于
shēng生
qián前
xiū修
jiàn建
shēng生
kuàng圹
，
yǐ以
wéi为
bǎi百
nián年
zhī之
hòu后
guī归
zàng葬
zhī之
suǒ所
。
The ancients often constructed their tombs during their lifetimes, preparing them as places of burial for when they passed away.
Zhè这
zuò座
shēng生
kuàng圹
jiàn建
yú于
Míng明
dài代
，
zhì至
jīn今
bǎo保
cún存
wán完
hǎo好
。
This pre-burial tomb was constructed during the Ming Dynasty and remains in excellent condition to this day.
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Tā他
wèi为
zì自
jǐ己
xuǎn选
hǎo好
le了
mù墓
dì地
，
bìng并
kāi开
shǐ始
yíng营
jiàn建
shēng生
kuàng圹
。
He selected a burial site for himself and began constructing his tomb.