先天不足，后天失调
Traditional form:
先天不足，後天失調
Pinyin (reading):
xiāntiānbùzú,hòutiānshītiáo
Definitions:
- to be born with a weak constitution and suffer from ill health during one's life
- (fig.) to be problematic from the start, and get even worse over time
Characters:
- 先 - first, former, previous
- 天 - sky, heaven; god, celestial
- 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
- 足 - foot; to attain, to satisfy; enough
- 后 - after; behind, rear; descendants
- 天 - sky, heaven; god, celestial
- 失 - to lose; to make a mistake, to neglect
- 调 - tune, melody, key; to transfer, to exchange
Traditional characters: