祸兮福所倚

禍兮福所倚

huòxīfúsuǒyǐ

phrase

Meanings

1 misfortune is what fortune leans upon
2 good luck rests on bad luck's shoulder
3 Laozi's dialectical maxim on the turning of fates

Characters

(classical particle)

Examples

祸兮福所倚，福兮祸所伏，凡事要辩证地看。

Huò xī fú suǒ yǐ, fú xī huò suǒ fú, fán shì yào biànzhèng de kàn.

Misfortune leans on fortune, fortune hides misfortune — one must view everything dialectically.

这次没升职，说不定是好事，祸兮福所倚嘛。

Zhè cì méi shēngzhí, shuōbudìng shì hǎoshì, huò xī fú suǒ yǐ ma.

Not getting the promotion this time might be a blessing — misfortune is what fortune leans on.

Tips

history

出自《老子·第五十八章》："祸兮福之所倚，福兮祸之所伏。孰知其极？其无正也。"阐述祸福相依、可互相转化的辩证思想。成语"塞翁失马"（《淮南子》）亦是此理的故事化表达。

Stroke Order

祸 huò

兮 xī

福 fú

所 suǒ

倚 yǐ