生於憂患，死於安樂

Chinese

		to be born; to give birth; life to be born; to give birth; life; to grow; student; raw	in; at; to in; at; to; from; by; than; out of; surname	suffering; hardship; misery		to die; impassable; uncrossable to die; impassable; uncrossable; inflexible; rigid	in; at; to in; at; to; from; by; than; out of; surname	peaceful and happy; happy and content
trad. (生於憂患，死於安樂)		生	於	憂患	，	死	於	安樂
simp. (生于忧患，死于安乐)		生	于	忧患	，	死	于	安乐

Etymology

From Mencius (《孟子·告子下》):

……人恒過，然後能改。困於心，衡於慮，而後作。徵於色，發於聲，而後喻。入則無法家拂士、出則無敵國外患者，國恒亡。然後知生於憂患，而死於安樂也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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……人恒过，然后能改。困于心，衡于虑，而后作。征于色，发于声，而后喻。入则无法家拂士、出则无敌国外患者，国恒亡。然后知生于忧患，而死于安乐也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

...... Rén héng guò, ránhòu néng gǎi. Kùn yú xīn, héng yú lǜ, érhòu zuò. Zhēng yú sè, fā yú shēng, érhòu yù. Rù zé wú fǎjiā bìshì, chū zé wú díguó wàihuàn zhě, guó héng wáng. Ránhòu zhī shēng yú yōuhuàn, ér sǐ yú ānyuè yě. [Pinyin]

… Men for the most part err, and are afterwards able to reform. They are distressed in mind and perplexed in their thoughts, and then they arise to vigorous reformation. When things have been evidenced in men's looks, and set forth in their words, then they understand them. If a prince have not about his court families attached to the laws and worthy counsellors, and if abroad there are not hostile States or other external calamities, his kingdom will generally come to ruin. From these things we see how life springs from sorrow and calamity, and death from ease and pleasure.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shēng yú yōuhuàn, sǐ yú ānlè

  (Zhuyin): ㄕㄥ ㄩˊ ㄧㄡ ㄏㄨㄢˋ , ㄙˇ ㄩˊ ㄢ ㄌㄜˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sang¹ jyu¹ jau¹ waan⁶, sei² jyu¹ on¹ lok⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shēng yú yōuhuàn, sǐ yú ānlè
    • Zhuyin: ㄕㄥ ㄩˊ ㄧㄡ ㄏㄨㄢˋ , ㄙˇ ㄩˊ ㄢ ㄌㄜˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sheng yú youhuàn, sǐh yú anlè
    • Wade–Giles: shêng¹ yü² yu¹-huan⁴, ssŭ³ yü² an¹-lê⁴
    • Yale: shēng yú yōu-hwàn-, sž yú ān-lè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sheng yu iouhuann, syy yu anleh
    • Palladius: шэн юй юхуань, сы юй аньлэ (šɛn juj juxuanʹ, sy juj anʹlɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ y³⁵ joʊ̯⁵⁵ xu̯än⁵¹ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵ ˀän⁵⁵ lɤ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: sang¹ jyu¹ jau¹ waan⁶, sei² jyu¹ on¹ lok⁶
    • Yale: sāng yū yāu waahn, séi yū ōn lohk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sang¹ jy¹ jau¹ waan⁶, sei² jy¹ on¹ lok⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: seng¹ yu¹ yeo¹ wan⁶, séi² yu¹ on¹ log⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɐŋ⁵⁵ jyː⁵⁵ jɐu̯⁵⁵ waːn²² sei̯³⁵ jyː⁵⁵ ɔːn⁵⁵ lɔːk̚²/

Proverb

生於憂患，死於安樂

1. Life springs from sorrow and calamity; death comes from ease and pleasure.