Dictionary › 失之东隅，收之桑榆

失之东隅，收之桑榆

shī zhī dōng yú , shōu zhī sāng yú

9-character word Traditional 失之東隅，收之桑榆

What 失之东隅，收之桑榆 means

1. to lose at sunrise but gain at sunset (idiom)
2. to compensate later for one's earlier loss
3. what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts

The characters in 失之东隅，收之桑榆

• 失shīto lose; to miss; to fail
• 之zhī(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的; him; her
• 东dōngeast; host (i.e. sitting on east side of guest); landlord
• 隅yúcorner
• 收shōuto receive; to accept; to collect
• 之zhī(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的; him; her
• 桑sāng(bound form) mulberry tree
• 榆yúelm