Chinese
sàiwēngshīmǎ
Meaning: a blessing in disguise; literally 'the old man at the frontier losing his horse'
Part of Speech: Noun, Four-character idiom

Listen to pronunciation

Example sentences

塞翁失馬,焉知非福,我們不應該因為一時的挫折而灰心。
塞翁失马,焉知非福,我们不应该因为一时的挫折而灰心。
A blessing in disguise; we should not be discouraged by temporary setbacks.
塞翁失馬,焉知非福。
A blessing in disguise (literally: How could the old man on the frontier know the horse's loss wasn't a blessing?).

Usage Notes

A Chinese idiom suggesting that a setback may turn out to be a good thing.

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