# 流芳百世

liú fāng bǎi shì

Leave a good reputation for generations

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Fragrance spreads through a hundred ages

**Register:** Elevated · literary

[People & connection](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/relationships)

## When to use it

Honor a lasting positive legacy.

Positive fame, unlike lasting notoriety.

## Understanding the expression

Fragrance suggests something pleasant that continues to reach others after its source is out of sight. The expression applies that lasting effect to a person's good reputation or contribution. It appears in tributes, memorials, and historical writing. The large span of time is figurative rather than an exact prediction. Its tone is elevated and approving, so it suits an enduring legacy more naturally than a brief moment of fashionable success.

## Examples

他的善举被认为会流芳百世。

### Traditional Chinese

他的善舉被認為會流芳百世。

tā de shàn jǔ bèi rèn wéi huì liú fāng bǎi shì 。

His good deeds are thought to leave an enduring legacy.

纪念馆表彰流芳百世的贡献。

### Traditional Chinese

紀念館表彰流芳百世的貢獻。

jì niàn guǎn biǎo zhāng liú fāng bǎi shì de gòng xiàn 。

The museum honors contributions remembered for generations.

她希望作品能流芳百世。

tā xī wàng zuò pǐn néng liú fāng bǎi shì 。

She hopes her work will be cherished for generations.

不求流芳百世，只愿帮助身边人。

### Traditional Chinese

不求流芳百世，只願幫助身邊人。

bù qiú liú fāng bǎi shì ， zhī yuàn bāng zhù shēn biān rén 。

He seeks no lasting fame, only to help people nearby.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E6%B5%81%E8%8A%B3%E7%99%BE%E4%B8%96)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=188&webMd=1&la=0)

## Keep exploring

- [流言蜚语 liú yán fēi yǔ Unfounded rumors and malicious gossip ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/liu-yan-fei-yu)

- [路不拾遗 lù bù shí yí A community is so honest that lost items remain untouched ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/lu-bu-shi-yi)

- [络绎不绝 luò yì bù jué Continue arriving or passing in an unbroken stream ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/luo-yi-bu-jue)

- [马耳东风 mǎ ěr dōng fēng Words that receive no attention ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/ma-er-dong-feng)

## Keep this one close.

Save useful idioms, read offline, and revisit them with flashcards in Almanac.

[View on the App Store ](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6819590452)

[Previous idiom 柳暗花明 ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/liu-an-hua-ming) [Next idiom 流连忘返 ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/liu-lian-wang-fan)