blessing in disguise; loss turns to gain
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
a loss may turn out to be a gain; a blessing in disguise; an old man at the frontier lost his horse
literaryOriginated from Huainanzi (《淮南子•人间训》). Used to comfort those who have suffered losses or to express the philosophy that fortune and misfortune are interconvertible. Often followed by the phrase '焉知非福' (who knows it is not a blessing).
Zhè这
cì次
tóu投
zī资
shī失
bài败
duì对
tā他
lái来
shuō说
yě也
xǔ许
shì是
sài塞
wēng翁
shī失
mǎ马
，
yān焉
zhī知
fēi非
fú福
？
This investment failure might be a blessing in disguise for him—who knows it is not a blessing?
Tā他
suī虽
rán然
shī失
qù去
le了
nà那
fèn份
gōng工
zuò作
，
dàn但
hòu后
lái来
chuàng创
yè业
chéng成
gōng功
，
zhēn真
shì是
sài塞
wēng翁
shī失
mǎ马
。
Although he lost that job, he later succeeded in starting his own business—it was truly a blessing in disguise.
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Sài塞
wēng翁
shī失
mǎ马
de的
gù故
shì事
gào告
su诉
wǒ我
men们
，
huài坏
shì事
yǒu有
shí时
yě也
néng能
biàn变
chéng成
hǎo好
shì事
。
The story of the old man who lost his horse tells us that bad things can sometimes turn into good things.