Shareables · HSK 4 · 文 · Culture
成语 · 塞翁失马
The old man lost his horse, and nobody could say yet whether it was bad news.
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塞翁失马sài wēng shī mǎthe old man lost his horse: a loss that turns out to be a blessing
逐字 · CHARACTER BY CHARACTER
| Character | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 塞 | sài | frontier fortress |
| 翁 | wēng | old man |
| 失 | shī | to lose |
| 马 | mǎ | horse |
An old man's horse ran off. Bad luck, said the neighbours. It came back leading a fine wild horse. Good luck, they said. His son rode it, fell, and broke his leg. Bad luck, until the army came conscripting, and a boy with a broken leg stayed home. 《淮南子》
常说 · THE FULL SAYING
Sài wēng shī mǎ, yān zhī fēi fú.塞翁失马，焉知非福。The old man lost his horse — how do you know it isn't a blessing?
What this card is
A one-page Chinese lesson from the HSK 4 set, filed under 文 · Culture. The old man lost his horse, and nobody could say yet whether it was bad news.
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Where it fits
The source: 塞翁失马 in the dictionary.
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