酸甜苦辣

suāntián-kǔlà
idiom HSK 5 #38,642

Meanings

  1. 1 sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy - the full range of flavors
  2. 2 (idiom) the ups and downs of life; all kinds of experiences

Characters

The four fundamental tastes - representing all of life's varied experiences.

Examples

HSK 3
Rénshēng de suāntián-kǔlà, tā dōu jīnglì guò.
He has experienced all the ups and downs of life.
HSK 3
Suāntián-kǔlà dōu shì rénshēng de yī bùfen.
Sweet and bitter experiences are all part of life.
HSK 5
Zhè bù diànyǐng zhǎnxiàn le shēnghuó de suāntián-kǔlà.
This movie shows the full spectrum of life's experiences.

Tips

culture
In Chinese, each flavor metaphorically represents an emotion: (sour) = jealousy or heartache, (sweet) = happiness, (bitter) = hardship, (spicy) = intensity or harshness.
usage
This idiom is commonly used to describe someone who has 'been through it all' - a rich or difficult life experience. Often appears with 经历 (to experience) or 尝尽 (to taste fully).

Stroke Order

suān
tián