諺語 · a single proverb
生於憂患，死於安樂
Simplified: 生于忧患，死于安乐
What does 生於憂患，死於安樂 (shēng yú yōu huàn sǐ yú ān lè) mean?
生於憂患，死於安樂 (shēng yú yōu huàn sǐ yú ān lè) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "life born from worry and hardship, death from peace and pleasure." In use it means: Adversity is what creates vitality; excessive comfort leads to decay. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Tiger.
Literally: "life born from worry and hardship, death from peace and pleasure."
The reading
The muscle that is never challenged wastes. The character that is never tested softens. And the nation or person that has arranged their world to remove all friction finds that what they removed was also what was keeping them alert. Some degree of difficulty is not the obstacle to flourishing; it is one of the conditions for it.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Mencius 孟子·告子下 (Gào Zǐ II)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Adversity & Resilience, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 生於憂患，死於安樂 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 生於憂患，死於安樂 (shēng yú yōu huàn sǐ yú ān lè) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Mencius 孟子·告子下 (Gào Zǐ II). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 生於憂患，死於安樂?
In Mandarin it is shēng yú yōu huàn sǐ yú ān lè. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 生於憂患，死於安樂 aloud in Mandarin.