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生于忧患死于安乐

生於憂患死於安樂
shēngyúyōuhuànsǐyúānlè
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 thrive in adversity, perish in comfort
  2. 2 (fig.) hardship sharpens and preserves; ease dulls and destroys
  3. 3 (lit.) live at sorrow-trouble, die at peace-joy

Examples

一个国家和一个人一样，都要懂得生于忧患死于安乐的道理。
Yī ge guójiā hé yī ge rén yīyàng, dōu yào dǒngde shēng yú yōuhuàn sǐ yú ānlè de dàolǐ.
A country, like a person, must understand the principle of 'thriving in hardship and perishing in comfort.'
公司顺利时更要警惕，切记生于忧患死于安乐。
Gōngsī shùnlì shí gèng yào jǐngtì, qièjì shēng yú yōuhuàn sǐ yú ānlè.
When a company is doing well, be more vigilant — never forget 'prosperity in hardship, ruin in ease.'

Tips

history
From 《孟子·告子下》(Mencius, Gaozi II, c. 300 BCE): 然后知生于忧患，而死于安乐也 (Only then do we understand that we live through hardship and die through ease). Mencius cites a roster of ancient figures (舜, 傅说, 胶鬲...) who rose from obscurity through suffering, arguing that adversity is Heaven's way of preparing great men. The line is a standard text in Chinese middle-school literature.
usage
Often the condensed modern form — Mencius's original is slightly longer. Treated as both an idiom (成语) and a life principle. 于 = 'in / at' (classical comparative/locative).

Stroke Order

生 shēng
于 yú
忧 yōu
患 huàn
死 sǐ
安 ān
乐 lè