年年岁岁花相似

年年歲歲花相似
niánniánsuìsuìhuāxiāngsì
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 year after year the flowers look the same
  2. 2 nature repeats while human life fades
  3. 3 line by Tang poet Liu Xiyi contrasting timeless nature with mortal lives

Examples

Niánnián suìsuì huā xiāng sì, suìsuì niánnián rén bù tóng — shíguāng liúshì, wù shì rén fēi.
The flowers look the same year after year, but the people change — time flows on and faces fade.
Huí dào mǔxiào, niánnián suìsuì huā xiāng sì, zhǐshì tóngxué dōu yǐ gè bēn dōngxi.
Back at my old school, the flowers look the same year after year — but classmates have all scattered.

Stroke Order

nián
suì
huā
xiāng