生老病死

shēnglǎo-bìngsǐ
idiom #27,869

Meanings

  1. 1 birth, old age, illness and death
  2. 2 the cycle of life
  3. 3 the inevitable fate of humankind

Examples

Shēnglǎobìngsǐ shì měigè rén dōu yào jīnglì de guòchéng.
Birth, aging, illness, and death are processes every person must go through.
Tā kàn dànle shēnglǎobìngsǐ, nèixīn fēicháng píngjìng.
He has come to accept the cycle of life, and his heart is very peaceful.

Tips

culture
生老病死 is a Buddhist concept listing the four forms of inevitable human suffering. It is one of the most fundamental philosophical phrases in the Chinese language, used to convey acceptance of life's impermanence.
memory
The four characters map directly: (birth) → (old age) → (illness) → (death). They follow the order of a human life.

Stroke Order

shēng
lǎo
bìng