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一元復始

简一元复始 · 繁一元復始

Mandarin · pinyin yī yuán fù shǐ

a new year begins (idiom)

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Characters in this entry

一: yī · one; a, an; alone
元: yuán · first; dollar; origin; head
復: Look up this written character
始: shǐ · begin, start; then, only then
复: fù · return; repeat; repeatedly

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–2–4–3 · yi1 yuan2 fu4 shi3

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

一元復始 · find source passages ↗ · 一元复始 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

jat1 jyun4 fuk6 ci2

Cantonese word readings for 一元復始. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) a new year begins

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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