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Does anyone know what is written on the image? I tried to find out what is it, and got 丁財貴寿 (丁财贵寿), but not quite sure enough. I tried to find the meaning of the words but seems can't find it or I don't understand what is being written there. When I tried to search with the traditional hanzi, there is a lot of information provided in Japanese, but when use the simplified one, there is a lot of information provided in Chinese, but I can't get the meaning.

If the characters is read: 丁财贵寿 (dīngcáiguìshòu), what does it means? And, does somebody knows why it is read orderly from top, bottom, right and finally left? Thanks.

丁財貴寿

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  • The characters you get are correct.
    – fefe
    Nov 25, 2012 at 7:39
  • @fefe: I see, but I can't find out the meaning of the characters..
    – mrjimoy_05
    Nov 25, 2012 at 7:48

2 Answers 2

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These are fengshui related words, each having its own meaning:

  • 丁 - 催旺人丁 (brings male offspring)
  • 財 - 興旺財源 (brings fortune)
  • 貴 - 平安富貴 (brings peace and wealth)
  • 壽 - 健康長壽 (brings health and longevity)

Quoted from this article:

玄空學說是利用五行形理相生的關係，去令一宅之中充滿生生不息的氣機。

風水學中的「催旺人丁、興旺財源、人口平安富貴及健康長壽」等等目的，簡稱為「丁財貴壽」等方法，便是依五行相生之理而建立的。

The purpose of the inscription may be to counter (剋) some negative elements (煞) in the house.

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    Note 丁 is not just offspring, but MALE offspring -- as non-PC as that may be...
    – dda
    Nov 25, 2012 at 11:20
  • @dda, I agree with you. 添丁 to 传宗接代 (add a son to carry on the family lineage).
    – 杨以轩
    Nov 25, 2012 at 14:23
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  • 丁: Male child
  • 財: Riches
  • 貴: Honor
  • 寿: Longevity

It's a good fortune sentence. The order (which appears normally on coins, the shape of which this reproduces), is North South East West.

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  • Actually 貴 means valuable or expensive. Doesn't have anything to do with honour at all.
    – deutschZuid
    Nov 25, 2012 at 21:26
  • You have a very narrow, 20th century understanding... cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/226 Explain words like 貴族 if 貴 only meant "expensive"... Ridiculous....
    – dda
    Nov 26, 2012 at 4:11
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    Ok, please calm down here. I take your point that it doesn't just mean valuable. However, there is a difference between honour derived from being part of the nobility and honour derived from doing respectable deeds. Nobility is inherently inseparable from wealth and that's what 貴 means here. It's the inherent reputation or honour if you will derived from affluence and high social ranking. I guess that's where I got confused, because honour to me is only gained through good deeds, not the inherited type bestowed upon you by wealth and position.
    – deutschZuid
    Nov 27, 2012 at 3:22
  • By the way, I did give you a +1, so again no need to get abrasive.
    – deutschZuid
    Nov 27, 2012 at 3:26

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