repent and reform; indulge in self-pity
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 4 examplesverb
to repent one's errors and reform oneself
archaicOriginal meaning of the idiom, where 艾 (yì) means to govern, punish, or cut. This usage is now considered archaic.
Jūn君
zǐ子
zì自
yuàn怨
zì自
yì艾
，
gǎi改
guò过
qiān迁
shàn善
。
A gentleman repents his mistakes and reforms himself, correcting faults and pursuing goodness.
verb
to indulge in self-pity; to repine; to regret
neutralModern usage, often implying excessive or unproductive regret without taking corrective action.
Bù不
yào要
zǒng总
shì是
zì自
yuàn怨
zì自
yì艾
，
yào要
jī积
jí极
miàn面
duì对
shēng生
huó活
。
Don't always indulge in self-pity; face life positively.
Shī失
bài败
zhī之
hòu后
，
tā他
zhěng整
tiān天
zì自
yuàn怨
zì自
yì艾
。
After the failure, he spent all day wallowing in self-pity.
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Yǔ与
qí其
zì自
yuàn怨
zì自
yì艾
，
bù不
rú如
chóng重
xīn新
chū出
fā发
。
Rather than repining, it's better to start anew.