古今多少事

Gǔjīn duōshǎo shì

quotation

Meanings

1 how many affairs from ancient times to now
2 endless events throughout history, all passed into story
3 lit. ancient-modern how many affairs

Characters

Examples

HSK 5

古今多少事，都付笑谈中 - 这句话常用来看淡历史。

Gǔjīn duōshǎo shì, dōu fù xiàotán zhōng - zhè jù huà cháng yònglái kàndàn lìshǐ.

'How many events from antiquity to now, all passed into casual chat' - often used to take history lightly.

HSK 7-9

酒桌上谈到往事，他感叹古今多少事。

Jiǔzhuō shàng tándào wǎngshì, tā gǎntàn gǔjīn duōshǎo shì.

At the wine table, speaking of the past, he sighed, 'How many affairs from ancient times to now.'

Tips

history

From 杨慎《临江仙·滚滚长江东逝水》 (Ming dynasty), later adopted as the opening theme of the 《三国演义》 TV adaptation. The closing couplet runs 一壶浊酒喜相逢，古今多少事，都付笑谈中 (one jar of cloudy wine at the joy of meeting - how many affairs from old to now, all passed into laughing talk).

usage

Nearly always paired with the closing 都付笑谈中. 多少 here is rhetorical/exclamatory ('how many!'), not a real question. One of the most-quoted philosophical ci lines in modern Chinese.

Stroke Order

古 gǔ

今 jīn

多 duō

少 shǎo

事 shì