興亡

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 興亡 (こうぼう) is a noun for the rise and fall or changing fortunes of a state, family, or similar group.
• Basic usage: 国家の興亡 traces states through history; 一族の興亡 follows a family's fortunes across generations.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Rise and decline as one historical span
  • The word contains both upward and downward change, not success or collapse alone; the preceding の phrase identifies whose fortunes are meant.