白了少年头

白了少年頭
báileshàoniántóu
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 youthful hair has turned white
  2. 2 to waste one's youth in inaction or grief
  3. 3 (lit.) whitened the youth's head

Examples

Mò děngxián, bái le shàonián tóu, kōng bēiqiè.
Don't idle away the days, only to see youthful hair turn white and regret it in vain.
Bié zài tuōyán le, zhēn pà bái le shàonián tóu.
Stop procrastinating — I'm afraid we'll waste our youth away.

Tips

history
From Yue Fei's (岳飞, Southern Song) 《》: 少年。(Do not idle — lest youthful hair turn white, and grief come in vain.) Written by the general as he urged himself and his men not to waste the chance to reclaim lost northern territories from the Jurchen Jin.
usage
Almost always quoted with the preceding and following . Common motivational line for students, entrepreneurs, and anyone tempted to procrastinate.

Stroke Order

bái
le
shǎo
nián
tóu