祸不单行
祸不单行 (huò bù dān xíng) literally means “disasters do not travel alone” and expresses “misfortunes come together”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: huo bu dan xing, huo bu dan xing,祸不单行 meaning, 祸不单行 in english
Misfortunes come together
Pronunciation: huò bù dān xíng Literal meaning: Disasters do not travel alone
Origin & Usage
Disasters (祸) do not (不) travel (行) singly (单). It belongs to the fatalistic stock of everyday speech, and it is usually completed by its other half, 福无双至 — blessings do not come in pairs. Together they make a lopsided view of luck in which misfortune is gregarious and good fortune arrives alone. It is said after the second piece of bad news rather than the first, and it functions less as prediction than as a way of absorbing a run of trouble without treating it as personally aimed.
Examples
English: "When it rains, it pours; his car broke down just as he lost his job."
Chinese: 当霉运来临时，坏事总是接踵而至。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
单枪匹马
dān qiāng pǐ mǎ
Acting single-handed, without help
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因祸得福
yīn huò dé fú
Benefit from adversity
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无独有偶
wú dú yǒu ǒu
Unexpected similarity
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独当一面
dú dāng yī miàn
Capable of taking charge independently
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独树一帜
dú shù yī zhì
Be unique; have distinctive style
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横行霸道
héng xíng bà dào
Arrogant and lawless
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寸步难行
cùn bù nán xíng
Unable to move forward at all
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各行其是
gè xíng qí shì
Disunity in action
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 祸不单行 mean in English?
祸不单行 (huò bù dān xíng) literally translates to “Disasters do not travel alone” and is used to express “Misfortunes come together”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 祸不单行 used?
Situation: When it rains, it pours; his car broke down just as he lost his job.
What is the pinyin for 祸不单行?
The pinyin pronunciation for 祸不单行 is “huò bù dān xíng”.