塞翁失马

塞翁失馬

sàiwēngshīmǎ

idiom

Meanings

1 the old frontiersman loses his horse
2 a setback that turns out to be a blessing in disguise

Characters

frontier / pass

Examples

失业也许是塞翁失马，让他找到了更好的机会。

Shīyè yěxǔ shì sàiwēngshīmǎ, ràng tā zhǎodào le gèng hǎo de jīhuì.

Losing his job may have been a blessing in disguise — it led him to a better opportunity.

塞翁失马，焉知非福，别太难过了。

Sàiwēngshīmǎ, yān zhī fēi fú, bié tài nánguò le.

The old man lost his horse — who knows if it is not a blessing? Do not be too upset.

Tips

history

From 《淮南子·人间训》: an old man near the frontier lost his horse. Neighbors consoled him, but he said it might be good luck. The horse returned with a fine stallion. His son then fell off it and broke his leg — but this spared him the draft when war broke out. Each loss hid a gain.

Stroke Order

塞 sāi

翁 wēng

失 shī

马 mǎ