安家立业 (Ān jiā lì yè)

Basic Info

• Chinese Idiom: 安家立业 (Ān jiā lì yè)
• Pinyin: ān jiā lì yè
• Literal meaning: “To settle a home and establish a career/business.”
  (安 = to settle / establish; 家 = home / family; 立 = to establish / build; 业 = career / business / enterprise)

Figurative Definition

It describes the two foundational achievements of adult life: establishing a stable home (often including marriage and family) and building a successful career or livelihood. It can also mean to settle down permanently in one place – putting down roots, starting a family, and making a living there.

It represents the traditional ideal of a settled, productive, and responsible adult life – the opposite of wandering, instability, or aimlessness.

Cultural & Historical Origin

This idiom comes from the Qing Dynasty novel Lüye Xianzong (《绿野仙踪》) by Li Baichuan (李百川), Chapter 95:

“今大爷回来，藉此可安家立业，娶一位主母，生育后嗣，接续老恩主一脉。”

“Now that the young master has returned, he can use this opportunity to settle a home and establish a career, marry a wife, produce heirs, and continue the old benefactor’s bloodline.”

The passage captures the traditional Chinese life script: return home, settle down, marry, have children, and build a livelihood – thereby continuing the family line and honoring one’s ancestors. This Chinese idiom (chengyu) condenses this entire vision of adult responsibility into four characters.

It is closely related to 成家立业 (chéng jiā lì yè – “to marry and establish a career”) and 安家落户 (ān jiā luò hù – “to settle down and register one’s household”).

Key Lesson

Stability is built, not found. A settled life and a successful career do not appear overnight – they require deliberate effort, patience, and commitment. The idiom reminds us that putting down roots and building something lasting is one of life’s most meaningful achievements. It also implies responsibility: caring for a family, contributing to a community, and creating a foundation for future generations.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, “安家立业” is a positive, aspirational idiom. It is often used:

• To encourage young people to settle down and build their lives.
• To describe someone who has successfully established themselves.
• In wedding blessings, career advice, and family conversations.

Traditionally, the order matters: 安家 first, then 立业 – settle the home, then build the career. This reflects the Confucian belief that a stable family is the foundation of a stable society and a productive life.

Its opposites are 流离失所 (liú lí shī suǒ – “displaced and homeless”), 倾家荡产 (qīng jiā dàng chǎn – “to lose one’s entire fortune and family”), and 颠沛流离 (diān pèi liú lí – “wandering in hardship”).

In modern China, the idiom is still widely used, though the order is sometimes reversed – many young people now focus on 立业 (career) before 安家 (marriage/home). The idiom has adapted to changing social norms while retaining its core meaning of building a stable, responsible adult life.

Similar English Expressions

• To settle down – To establish a stable home and life.
• To put down roots – To establish oneself permanently in a place.
• To build a life – To create a stable home and career.
• To establish a household – The traditional family-focused meaning.
• To make a home and a living – A direct descriptive phrase.
• To start a family and a career – Modern phrasing.
• To strike out on one’s own – To begin independent adult life (related).
• To be settled – To have a stable home and occupation.

The closest and most natural equivalents are “to settle down” and “to put down roots.”

In short, “安家立业” means settling a home and establishing a career – a timeless idiom for the foundational achievements of adult life: building stability, responsibility, and a lasting foundation for oneself and one’s family.