三十年河东，三十年河西

三十年河東，三十年河西

sānshíniánhédōng,sānshíniánhéxī

idiom

Meanings

1 the river flows east for thirty years, then west for thirty years (proverb)
2 fortunes rise and fall — change is the only constant

Characters

Examples

三十年河东，三十年河西，谁也料不到。

Sānshí nián hé dōng, sānshí nián hé xī, shéi yě liào bú dào.

Thirty years east of the river, thirty west — nobody can predict it.

公司起起落落，真是三十年河东，三十年河西。

Gōngsī qǐqǐluòluò, zhēn shi sānshí nián hé dōng, sānshí nián hé xī.

The company has had its ups and downs — truly, fortunes shift like a river's course.

Tips

history

The image comes from the historical wandering of the Yellow River, which has shifted its course many times — towns once on the east bank found themselves on the west a generation later. Cited in Qing-era novel 《儒林外史》 (The Scholars) by 吴敬梓 chapter 46.

usage

Used to comfort the down-and-out (your turn will come) or to warn the high-and-mighty (don't get too comfortable).

Stroke Order

三 sān

十 shí

年 nián

河 hé

东 dōng

西 xī