少年不识愁滋味

少年不識愁滋味
Shàonián bù shí chóu zīwèi
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 when young, one does not know the taste of sorrow
  2. 2 youth is innocent of real grief
  3. 3 opening line of Xin Qiji's famous ci on feigned melancholy

Examples

HSK 7-9
Shàoniánbùshíchóuzīwèi, zhǎngdà cái dǒng fùmǔ de xīnláo.
Youth does not know the taste of sorrow; only after growing up does one understand parents' toil.
HSK 7-9
Huíxiǎng dāngnián qiǎng shuō chóu de rìzi, zhēnshì shàoniánbùshíchóuzīwèi.
Looking back on those days of forced melancholy - truly, the young don't know what real sorrow tastes like.

Tips

history
From Xin Qiji's Southern-Song ci 《丑奴儿·书博山道中壁》: 少年不识愁滋味爱上层楼而今识尽愁滋味欲说还休. After setbacks in his career the poet looks back on a youth that forced melancholy just to write fine verse, contrasting it with a now-real sorrow he can no longer put into words.
usage
The is read shí ('to know / recognize'), not zhì. The line is usually quoted against its sequel 而今识尽愁滋味 to capture the gap between carefree youth and a life that has tasted real grief.

Stroke Order

shǎo
nián
shí
chóu
wèi