塞翁失马焉知非福
Traditional form:
塞翁失馬焉知非福
Pinyin (reading):
sàiwēngshīmǎyānzhīfēifú
Definitions:
- the old man lost his mare, but it all turned out for the best (idiom); fig. a blessing in disguise
- it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good
Characters:
- 塞 - to stop up, to seal, to cork, to block; pass, frontier; fortress
- 翁 - old man; father, father-in-law
- 失 - to lose; to make a mistake, to neglect
- 马 - horse; surname
- 焉 - why? where? how?; strange; thereupon, then
- 知 - to know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 非 - not, negative, non-; to oppose
- 福 - happiness, good fortune, blessings
Traditional characters:
- 塞 - to stop up, to seal, to cork, to block; pass, frontier; fortress
- 翁 - old man; father, father-in-law
- 失 - to lose; to make a mistake, to neglect
- 馬 - horse; surname
- 焉 - why? where? how?; strange; thereupon, then
- 知 - to know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 非 - not, negative, non-; to oppose
- 福 - happiness, good fortune, blessings