====== yǒng jié tóng xīn: 永结同心 - May You Be Forever Joined in Heart; Bound in Eternal Love ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** yongjietongxin, 永结同心, Chinese wedding blessing, Chinese wedding wishes, forever joined in heart, eternal love in Chinese, Chinese marriage phrase, to tie the knot in Chinese, 百年好合, Chinese congratulations for marriage.
  * **Summary:** "永结同心" (yǒng jié tóng xīn) is a classic Chinese idiom and one of the most popular wedding blessings, translating to "May you be forever joined in one heart." It is a profound wish for a newlywed couple to share a lifetime of unity, shared purpose, and inseparable love. This phrase is commonly seen on wedding cards, banners, and used in toasts, encapsulating the cultural ideal of a marriage as an eternal, harmonious bond.
===== Core Meaning =====
  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** yǒng jié tóng xīn
  * **Part of Speech:** Idiom / Set Phrase (成语, chéngyǔ)
  * **HSK Level:** N/A
  * **Concise Definition:** To be bound together with one heart for eternity.
  * **In a Nutshell:** This is a formal and heartfelt blessing given to a couple, usually on their wedding day. It's not just a wish for love, but for a deep, permanent union where the couple thinks, feels, and acts as one single entity. It expresses the hope that their hearts will be "tied" together forever, never to be separated in spirit or purpose.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **永 (yǒng):** Forever, eternal, perpetual. This sets the timescale for the blessing: eternity.
  * **结 (jié):** To tie, to bind, to form a knot. This character provides the powerful imagery of two things being securely fastened together, like the traditional Chinese "concentric knot" (同心结, tóngxīn jié), which symbolizes love.
  * **同 (tóng):** Same, together, with. This signifies unity and a shared nature.
  * **心 (xīn):** Heart, mind, or core. In Chinese culture, the heart is the seat of both emotion and thought.
When combined, **永结同心 (yǒng jié tóng xīn)** literally means "Eternally Tie the Same Heart." The characters create a beautiful mental image of two individual hearts being permanently bound into a single, unified entity, destined to beat as one for all time.
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
  * **The Ideal of Oneness:** In Chinese culture, a marriage is often seen as the merging of two individuals into a new, single unit that also connects two families. `永结同心` perfectly captures this ideal of "oneness." It's not just about compromise or partnership; it's about achieving a state of complete spiritual and emotional alignment.
  * **Comparison to Western Concepts:** A common Western wedding vow is "till death do us part." While both express lifelong commitment, "till death do us part" has a slightly contractual or endurance-based feeling—a promise to stay together through thick and thin. `永结同心` is more of a blessing for an intrinsic state of being. It focuses on the internal quality of the union—the shared heart and mind—rather than the external duration. It's a wish that the couple's bond is so profound they naturally become one, rather than simply promising to remain two people who stay together.
  * **The Symbolism of the Knot:** The character `结 (jié)` is culturally significant. The act of tying knots (中国结, Zhōngguó jié) is an ancient Chinese folk art, and these knots often symbolize good luck, longevity, and connection. Using `结` in this phrase invokes this deep cultural symbolism of a bond that is both beautiful and unbreakable.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
  * **Formal and Auspicious:** This phrase is highly formal and reserved for very special, celebratory occasions, almost exclusively for marriages.
  * **Weddings:** This is the primary context. You will see `永结同心` everywhere at a Chinese wedding:
    * Written on red envelopes (红包, hóngbāo) containing gift money.
    * Displayed on large red banners (横幅, héngfú) at the wedding banquet.
    * Included in congratulatory wedding cards.
    * Spoken aloud by the wedding MC, family members, or guests during toasts.
  * **Not for Casual Use:** You would never use this to describe a new or casual relationship. It implies the ultimate level of commitment and would sound strange or overly dramatic if used for a couple that isn't engaged or getting married.
===== Example Sentences =====
  * **Example 1:** 
    * 祝你们**永结同心**，百年好合！
    * Pinyin: Zhù nǐmen **yǒng jié tóng xīn**, bǎi nián hǎo hé!
    * English: Wishing you to be forever joined in heart and have a happy union for a hundred years!
    * Analysis: This is a classic wedding blessing, often said or written. It pairs `永结同心` with another wedding idiom, `百年好合 (bǎi nián hǎo hé)`, for a more complete and traditional-sounding wish.
  * **Example 2:** 
    * 在他们的婚礼上，司仪大声宣布：“让我们一起祝福这对新人**永结同心**，幸福美满！”
    * Pinyin: Zài tāmen de hūnlǐ shàng, sīyí dàshēng xuānbù: "Ràng wǒmen yīqǐ zhùfú zhè duì xīnrén **yǒng jié tóng xīn**, xìngfú měimǎn!"
    * English: At their wedding, the Master of Ceremonies announced loudly: "Let us all wish the newlyweds to be forever joined in heart and have a happy and wonderful life!"
    * Analysis: This demonstrates how the phrase is used formally in public speech during a wedding ceremony.
  * **Example 3:** 
    * 亲爱的朋友，恭喜你们喜结连理！愿你们**永结同心**，白头偕老。
    * Pinyin: Qīn'ài de péngyǒu, gōngxǐ nǐmen xǐ jié lián lǐ! Yuàn nǐmen **yǒng jié tóng xīn**, bái tóu xié lǎo.
    * English: Dear friends, congratulations on tying the knot! May you be forever joined in heart and grow old together.
    * Analysis: A common way a friend would write a message in a wedding card, combining several auspicious idioms.
  * **Example 4:** 
    * 看到他们俩如此恩爱，我真心希望他们能够**永结同心**。
    * Pinyin: Kàndào tāmen liǎ rúcǐ ēn'ài, wǒ zhēnxīn xīwàng tāmen nénggòu **yǒng jié tóng xīn**.
    * English: Seeing how much in love the two of them are, I sincerely hope they can be bound in eternal love.
    * Analysis: Here, it's used as a hope or wish for a deeply-in-love couple, even if not spoken directly to them. It's an observation of their potential for a lifelong bond.
  * **Example 5:** 
    * 婚礼蛋糕上写着“**永结同心**”四个大字。
    * Pinyin: Hūnlǐ dàngāo shàng xiězhe "**yǒng jié tóng xīn**" sì ge dà zì.
    * English: The four big characters for "Yong Jie Tong Xin" were written on the wedding cake.
    * Analysis: Shows the phrase used as a decorative element in a wedding, reinforcing its symbolic importance.
  * **Example 6:** 
    * 作为父亲，我最大的心愿就是看到你和你的爱人**永结同心**。
    * Pinyin: Zuòwéi fùqīn, wǒ zuìdà de xīnyuàn jiùshì kàndào nǐ hé nǐ de àirén **yǒng jié tóng xīn**.
    * English: As a father, my biggest wish is to see you and your beloved be forever joined in heart.
    * Analysis: This illustrates a parent expressing a heartfelt wish for their child's marriage, adding emotional weight and sincerity.
  * **Example 7:** 
    * 这块玉佩象征着他们**永结同心**的誓言。
    * Pinyin: Zhè kuài yùpèi xiàngzhēngzhe tāmen **yǒng jié tóng xīn** de shìyán.
    * English: This jade pendant symbolizes their vow to be forever joined in heart.
    * Analysis: The phrase is used here to describe a vow or promise, acting as the core concept of a symbolic object.
  * **Example 8:** 
    * 他们的爱情故事感动了无数人，是**永结同心**的典范。
    * Pinyin: Tāmen de àiqíng gùshì gǎndòngle wúshù rén, shì **yǒng jié tóng xīn** de diǎnfàn.
    * English: Their love story moved countless people; it's a perfect example of being bound in eternal love.
    * Analysis: Here, the phrase is used to describe an exemplary, ideal marriage that embodies the spirit of the idiom.
  * **Example 9:** 
    * 让我们举杯，为这对璧人**永结同心**干杯！
    * Pinyin: Ràng wǒmen jǔ bēi, wèi zhè duì bìrén **yǒng jié tóng xīn** gānbēi!
    * English: Let's raise our glasses and toast to this perfect couple being forever joined in heart!
    * Analysis: A classic line used in a wedding toast. `璧人 (bìrén)` is a literary term for a perfect, well-matched couple.
  * **Example 10:** 
    * 他们的结婚请柬上印着金色的“**永结同心**”。
    * Pinyin: Tāmen de jiéhūn qǐngjiǎn shàng yìnzhe jīnsè de "**yǒng jié tóng xīn**".
    * English: Their wedding invitation was printed with "Yong Jie Tong Xin" in gold.
    * Analysis: Shows another common physical application of the phrase in the context of a wedding.
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  * **Exclusively for Romantic Love:** The biggest mistake a learner can make is to use `永结同心` for any relationship other than a marriage or a lifelong romantic commitment. You cannot use it to wish for a lasting friendship or a strong business partnership. It would be inappropriate and confusing.
  * **Timing is Everything:** Do not use this for a new couple or a relationship that isn't serious. It is a blessing for a permanent union, so it is reserved for engagements and, most appropriately, weddings. Saying it too early would be like planning the wedding on the first date—far too intense.
  * **It's a Blessing, Not a Statement:** `永结同心` is almost always used as a wish, hope, or blessing for a couple (e.g., "I wish you `永结同心`"). A person would rarely say "We are `永结同心`" about themselves, as it sounds a bit like boasting. They might say their *goal* is to `永结同心`. The phrase is most naturally used by an observer or well-wisher bestowing the blessing upon others.
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * [[百年好合]] (bǎi nián hǎo hé) - "A happy union for one hundred years." A very common wedding blessing, often used alongside `永结同心`.
  * [[白头偕老]] (bái tóu xié lǎo) - "To grow old together until your hair is white." This focuses on the longevity and companionship of a marriage.
  * [[新婚快乐]] (xīn hūn kuài lè) - "Happy new marriage." A direct, simple, and common way to say "Congratulations on your wedding." It's less poetic than the idioms.
  * [[天作之合]] (tiān zuò zhī hé) - "A match made in heaven." Describes a couple that is perfectly suited for each other, as if by destiny.
  * [[心心相印]] (xīn xīn xiāng yìn) - "Two hearts beat as one." This describes the state of deep mutual understanding and connection that `永结同心` wishes for a couple to have forever.
  * [[喜结连理]] (xǐ jié lián lǐ) - "To joyfully tie the interlocking branches." A poetic and formal way to say "to get married." The `结 (jié)` character is shared with `永结同心`.
  * [[比翼双飞]] (bǐ yì shuāng fēi) - "To fly wing to wing" (from a myth about a bird with only one wing that must pair up to fly). A metaphor for an inseparable and harmonious couple.
  * [[同心结]] (tóngxīn jié) - "Concentric knot." A type of intricate Chinese knot that symbolizes eternal love, directly related to the meaning of `永结同心`.