節哀順變

Chinese

		to restrain one's grief	to adapt to or accept changes; to be accommodating
trad. (節哀順變)		節哀	順變
simp. (节哀顺变)		节哀	顺变

Etymology

From the Book of Rites, Book 4 (《禮記·檀弓下》):

喪禮，哀戚之至也。節哀，順變也；君子念始之者也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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丧礼，哀戚之至也。节哀，顺变也；君子念始之者也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Sānglǐ, āiqī zhī zhì yě. Jié'āi, shùnbiàn yě; jūnzǐ niàn shǐ zhī zhě yě. [Pinyin]

The rites of mourning are the extreme expression of grief and sadness. In modulating grief, one accords with changes; this is how the gentleman keeps mindful of those to whom we owe our being.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jié'āishùnbiàn

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄞ ㄕㄨㄣˋ ㄅㄧㄢˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zit³ oi¹ seon⁶ bin³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jié'āishùnbiàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄞ ㄕㄨㄣˋ ㄅㄧㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jié-aishùnbiàn
    • Wade–Giles: chieh²-ai¹-shun⁴-pien⁴
    • Yale: jyé-āi-shwùn-byàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyeaishuennbiann
    • Palladius: цзеайшуньбянь (czeajšunʹbjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ ˀaɪ̯⁵⁵ ʂu̯ən⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi̯ɛn⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zit³ oi¹ seon⁶ bin³
    • Yale: jit ōi seuhn bin
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzit⁸ oi¹ soen⁶ bin³
    • Guangdong Romanization: jid³ oi¹ sên⁶ bin³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siːt̚³ ɔːi̯⁵⁵ sɵn²² piːn³³/

Idiom

節哀順變

1. to restrain one's grief and accept fate (used to console family of a deceased person); my condolences; rest in peace

   請節哀順變！／请节哀顺变！  ―  Qǐng jié'āishùnbiàn!  ―  My condolences; rest in peace.