8 Chinese Idioms About Blessings in Disguise
Hopeful Chinese idioms about finding good in bad situations, silver linings, and unexpected fortune.
The famous story of Sai Weng losing his horse teaches that misfortune can become blessing. These idioms share this optimistic wisdom about finding unexpected good in difficult situations.
塞翁失马
sài wēng shī mǎMisfortune might be a blessing
Literal: Old man loses horse
This profound idiom originates from the story of a wise old man (塞翁) living near the northern border who lost his prized horse (失马). When neighbors came to console him, he asked, 'How do you know this isn't good fortune?' Indeed, the horse later returned with a magnificent wild horse. When neighbors...
Example
Losing his job led him to find his true calling
失业反而让他找到了真正的使命
时来运转
shí lái yùn zhuǎnFortune's wheel will turn.
Literal: Time comes and fortune turns
This optimistic idiom describes the moment when time arrives (时来) and fortune turns (运转). It emerged from the practice of divination during the Zhou Dynasty, where fortune was seen as cyclical rather than fixed. The concept gained particular resonance during the Tang Dynasty, as stories spread of sc...
Example
After years of struggle, his business finally found its market opportunity
经过多年的奋斗，他的企业终于找到了市场机会
柳暗花明
liǔ àn huā míngHope appears in darkness
Literal: Dark willows bright flowers
This idiom comes from a line in Tang Dynasty poet Lu Zhaolin's work, describing a moment where a traveler, surrounded by dark willows (柳暗), suddenly discovers a bright clearing filled with flowers (花明). The imagery draws from classical Chinese garden design, where winding paths deliberately obscured...
Example
After months of setbacks, they finally had their breakthrough
经过几个月的挫折，他们终于取得了突破
风云际会
fēng yún jì huìPerfect moment of opportunity
Literal: Wind cloud gather meeting
Drawing from ancient Chinese cosmology, this idiom describes the dramatic moment when wind (风) and clouds (云) gather (际会) before a momentous change. The imagery comes from astronomical observations recorded during the Zhou Dynasty, where such atmospheric phenomena were seen as heavenly omens. Histor...
Example
The market conditions created a perfect opportunity for the new venture
市场条件为新企业创造了完美的机会
知难而进
zhī nán ér jìnPress on despite awareness of challenges
Literal: Know difficulty yet advance
This idiom describes the courage to recognize (知) difficulties (难) and still move forward (进), originating from Warring States military strategy texts. It first gained prominence through the story of General Wu Qi, who famously told his king that understanding battlefield challenges before engaging ...
Example
Despite understanding the challenges, she accepted the complex international assignment
尽管了解其中的挑战，她还是接受了这个复杂的国际任务
急流勇进
jí liú yǒng jìnAdvance boldly through difficulty
Literal: Rapids bravely advance
This dynamic idiom describes bravely (勇) advancing (进) through rapid (急) currents (流), emerging from Tang Dynasty descriptions of skilled boatmen navigating the treacherous Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. The phrase gained political significance during the Song Dynasty, when reformer Wang Anshi u...
Example
The startup aggressively expanded during market turbulence while competitors retreated
当竞争对手退缩时，这家初创公司在市场动荡期间积极扩张
前途无量
qián tú wú liàngUnlimited potential for future success
Literal: Boundless path ahead
This encouraging idiom describes a future path (前途) that has no (无) measure or limit (量), originating from Song Dynasty educational philosophy. It first appeared in examiner evaluations of exceptionally promising students who demonstrated unusual potential. During the Ming Dynasty, the phrase gained...
Example
The young scientist's innovative research showed tremendous potential
这位年轻科学家的创新研究显示出巨大潜力
难兄难弟
nán xiōng nán dìCompanions united through shared hardship
Literal: Difficult elder and younger brothers
This related idiom describes troubled (难) elder brother (兄) and troubled (难) younger brother (弟), originating from Qing Dynasty vernacular literature. It described families where siblings shared similar difficulties or misfortunes. The repetition of '难' (difficult) emphasized their common predicamen...
Example
The two struggling companies formed an alliance to survive the market downturn
这两家struggling公司结成联盟以度过市场低迷期
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