Dictionary › 先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐

先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐

xiān tiān xià zhī yōu ér yōu , hòu tiān xià zhī lè ér lè

15-character word Traditional 先天下之憂而憂，後天下之樂而樂

What 先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐 means

1. to be the first to worry about affairs of state, and the last to enjoy oneself (quotation from the essay On Yueyang Tower {岳阳楼记|Yuè yáng Lóu Jì} by Song writer Fan Zhongyan {范仲淹|Fàn Zhòng yān})

The characters in 先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐

• 先xiānbeforehand; first; earlier; at first; originally; for the time being; for now
• 天tiānday; sky; heaven
• 下xiàdown; downwards; below
• 之zhī(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的; him; her
• 忧yōuto worry; to concern oneself with; worried
• 而érand; as well as; and so
• 忧yōuto worry; to concern oneself with; worried
• 后hòuempress; queen; (archaic) monarch
• 天tiānday; sky; heaven
• 下xiàdown; downwards; below
• 之zhī(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的; him; her
• 乐lèhappy; cheerful; to laugh
• 而érand; as well as; and so
• 乐lèhappy; cheerful; to laugh