About
The idiom **如愿以偿 (rú yuàn yǐ cháng)** is formed through a classical Chinese grammatical structure where each character contributes to a sequential, cause-and-effect meaning: **如** (to fulfill or accord with), **愿** (a wish or desire), **以** (a particle meaning "thereby" or "in order to"), and **偿** (to repay or fulfill, as a debt or promise). Literally, it reads "to fulfill a wish thereby achieving its realization," depicting the process of a wish being met and subsequently coming to fruition. This compact, four-character pattern, common in Chinese idioms, elegantly conveys the complete narrative of achieving a longed-for outcome, with its enduring usage cementing its meaning as "to have one's wish fulfilled" or "to get what one wanted."