also: せんしゅうばんぜい
expression
may you live a thousand years
A celebratory yojijukugo expressing wishes for long life and prosperity, often used in formal or poetic contexts such as New Year's greetings or congratulatory messages.
新年のご挨拶として「千秋万歳」と申し上げます。
As a New Year's greeting, I say, 'May you live a thousand years.'
ご長寿を祝して、千秋万歳の言葉を贈ります。
In celebration of your longevity, I offer the words '千秋万歳.'
A yojijukugo composed of 千 (thousand), 秋 (autumn, here metaphorically 'year'), 万 (ten thousand), and 歳 (year), literally 'a thousand autumns and ten thousand years,' expressing a wish for extremely long life. The phrase originates from classical Chinese celebratory expressions.