Definition
得志 is a separable verb (离合词) meaning 'to achieve one's ambitions' or 'to have one's wishes fulfilled'. The verb 得 and the object 志 can split when inserting time, degree, or negative markers — for example, 不得志 ('unable to fulfill one's ambitions') or 得了志 ('once ambitions are achieved'). The word often implies career success or the attainment of a long-held goal, but can carry a mildly negative tone in contexts like 小人得志 ('a petty person gains power').
v.o.
to achieve one's ambitionsto have one's wishes fulfilled
Examples
- ，得志。Tā jīngguò duō nián nǔlì, zhōngyú dé zhì le.After many years of hard work, he finally achieved his ambitions.
- 。Zhège rén zài bù dé zhì de shíhou yìzhí hěn tāshi.This person was always down-to-earth when he was not fulfilling his ambitions.
- ，。Tā gāng dé le zhì, jiù kāishǐ kànbuqǐ lǎo péngyou le.As soon as he achieved his ambitions, he started looking down on his old friends.
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