humbly say one has wasted the years; grow older without achievement
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
to have wasted one's years; to have grown older without making any accomplishments
humble典出《谷梁传》。现代汉语中用于年长者自谦，表示岁月空逝，事业无成。多用于书面或较正式的场合。
Lǎo老
xiǔ朽
mǎ马
chǐ齿
tú徒
zēng增
，
kuì愧
wú无
jiàn建
shù树
，
hái还
qǐng请
zhū诸
wèi位
zhǐ指
jiāo教
。
I have wasted my years and am ashamed of having achieved nothing; I still ask for your guidance.
Huí回
xiǎng想
zhè这
shí十
nián年
，
zhēn真
shì是
mǎ马
chǐ齿
tú徒
zēng增
，
yī一
shì事
wú无
chéng成
。
Looking back on these ten years, I have truly wasted them and accomplished nothing.
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Tā他
cháng常
gǎn感
kǎi慨
zì自
jǐ己
mǎ马
chǐ齿
tú徒
zēng增
，
gū辜
fù负
le了
dāng当
nián年
de的
xióng雄
xīn心
。
He often laments that he has wasted his years, failing to live up to his ambitions of old.