<ul>
<li>丁: Male child</li>
<li>財: Riches</li>
<li>貴: Honor</li>
<li>寿: Longevity</li>
</ul>

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

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-25T21:26:13.637Z
Actually 貴 means valuable or expensive. Doesn't have anything to do with honour at all.
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-26T04:11:38.113Z
You have a very narrow, 20th century understanding... http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/226/ Explain words like 貴族 if 貴 only meant "expensive"... Ridiculous....
dda
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-27T03:22:58.520Z
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
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-27T03:26:28.773Z
By the way, I did give you a +1, so again no need to get abrasive.
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-25T08:47:55.003Z
2012-11-25T08:47:55.003Z
dda
<p>These are fengshui related words, each having its own meaning:</p>

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

<p>Quoted from <a href="http://zewei.com/Fengshui/fengshuiarticle08.htm" rel="nofollow">this article</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>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。</p>
  
  <p>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。</p>
</blockquote>

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

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-25T11:20:40.690Z
Note 丁 is not just offspring, but MALE offspring -- as non-PC as that may be...
dda
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-25T14:23:14.087Z
@dda, I agree with you. 添丁 to 传宗接代 (add a son to carry on the family lineage).
杨以轩
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-25T08:49:09.510Z
2012-11-25T14:23:38.113Z
2012-11-25T14:23:38.113Z
杨以轩
<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/BtXeO.jpg" alt="丁財貴寿"></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-25T07:39:15.473Z
The characters you get are correct.
fefe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-25T07:48:21.407Z
@fefe: I see, but I can't find out the meaning of the characters..
mrjimoy_05
<meaning><characters><character-identification>
Does anyone know what is the characters means (丁財貴寿)?
# Does anyone know what is the characters means (丁財貴寿)?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-11-25)

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](https://i.sstatic.net/BtXeO.jpg)

**Tags:** meaning, characters, character-identification
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The characters you get are correct.  
> **username_0**: @fefe: I see, but I can't find out the meaning of the characters..  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2012-11-25. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

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](http://zewei.com/Fengshui/fengshuiarticle08.htm):

> 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.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Note 丁 is not just offspring, but MALE offspring -- as non-PC as that may be...  
> **username_4**: @dda, I agree with you. 添丁 to 传宗接代 (add a son to carry on the family lineage).  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2012-11-25. Score: 4

* 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.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Actually 貴 means valuable or expensive. Doesn't have anything to do with honour at all.  
> **username_2**: You have a very narrow, 20th century understanding... http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/226/ Explain words like 貴族 if 貴 only meant "expensive"... Ridiculous....  
> **username_3**: 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.  
> **username_3**: By the way, I did give you a +1, so again no need to get abrasive.  

---

