What Would The Chopstick Say?

January 4, 2020 8:39 PM

A friend sent me a picture of chopsticks(?) with writing on them. They are something his father would have gotten in the 1950's. I have tried Google Translate and other online translations but the most I've gotten is, "You can." Can anyone help translate? ( I have never been able to hyperink here.) Link.
posted by ITravelMontana to Grab Bag (2 answers total)

This comment in Reddit claims that this is a "modern invention" https://www.reddit.com/r/translator/comments/8mte76/chinese_english/dzq8rfn/: 福禄寿宜康 福 blessing 禄 status 寿 longevity 宜 smooth/suitable 康 healthy.

(Your picture is upside-down.)
posted by applesurf at 9:06 PM on January 4, 2020

If you want to read them in Mandarin: fú lù shòu yí kāng.

Though 禄 can mean "high position" or "salary", the intended meaning is surely "prosperity, blessing".
posted by zompist at 4:37 PM on January 5, 2020