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先天下之憂而憂,後天下之樂而樂

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Chinese

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Show concern before the world does; enjoy yourself after the world does
under heaven; the world; everything under the sky
under heaven; the world; everything under the sky; all under heaven
 
's; him/her/it; this worried
and; as well as; but (not)
and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)
 
worried
back; behind; rear
back; behind; rear; afterwards; after; later
 
under heaven; the world; everything under the sky
under heaven; the world; everything under the sky; all under heaven
 
's; him/her/it; this
music; happy; laugh
music; happy; laugh; cheerful
 
and; as well as; but (not)
and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)
 
music; happy; laugh
music; happy; laugh; cheerful
 
trad. (先天下之憂而憂,後天下之樂而樂) 天下 天下
simp. (先天下之忧而忧,后天下之乐而乐) 天下 天下

Etymology

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From Yueyang Lou Ji by 范仲淹 (Fan Zhongyan):

然則何時:「天下天下 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
然则何时:「天下天下 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: 范仲淹 (Fan Zhongyan), 《岳陽樓記》
Ránzé héshí ér yuè yē? Qí bì yuē: “Xiān tiānxià zhī yōu ér yōu, hòu tiānxià zhī yuè ér yuè” yú! [Pinyin]
So when will they be joyful? They will surely say, "Be concerned before the world is, and be joyful only after the world is joyful."

Pronunciation

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  • Mandarin
    • (Standard Chinese)+
      • Hanyu Pinyin: xiān tiānxià zhī yōu ér yōu, hòu tiānxià zhī lè ér lè
      • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄓ ㄧㄡ ㄦˊ ㄧㄡ , ㄏㄡˋ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄓ ㄌㄜˋ ㄦˊ ㄌㄜˋ
      • Tongyong Pinyin: sian tiansià jhih you ér you, hòu tiansià jhih lè ér lè
      • Wade–Giles: hsien1 tʻien1-hsia4 chih1 yu1 êrh2 yu1, hou4 tʻien1-hsia4 chih14 êrh24
      • Yale: syān tyān-syà jr̄ yōu ér yōu-, hòu tyān-syà jr̄ lè ér lè
      • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shian tianshiah jy iou erl iou, how tianshiah jy leh erl leh
      • Palladius: сянь тянься чжи ю эр ю, хоу тянься чжи лэ эр лэ (sjanʹ tjanʹsja čži ju er ju, xou tjanʹsja čži lɛ er lɛ)
      • Sinological IPA (key): /ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ joʊ̯⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ joʊ̯⁵⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ lɤ⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ lɤ⁵¹/
  • Cantonese
    • (Standard Cantonese, GuangzhouHong Kong)+
      • Jyutping: sin1 tin1 haa6 zi1 jau1 ji4 jau1, hau6 tin1 haa6 zi1 lok6 ji4 lok6
      • Yale: sīn tīn hah jī yāu yìh yāu, hauh tīn hah jī lohk yìh lohk
      • Cantonese Pinyin: sin1 tin1 haa6 dzi1 jau1 ji4 jau1, hau6 tin1 haa6 dzi1 lok9 ji4 lok9
      • Guangdong Romanization: xin1 tin1 ha6 ji1 yeo1 yi4 yeo1, heo6 tin1 ha6 ji1 log6 yi4 log6
      • Sinological IPA (key): /siːn⁵⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵ haː²² t͡siː⁵⁵ jɐu̯⁵⁵ jiː²¹ jɐu̯⁵⁵ hɐu̯²² tʰiːn⁵⁵ haː²² t͡siː⁵⁵ lɔːk̚² jiː²¹ lɔːk̚²/

Idiom

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先天下之憂而憂,後天下之樂而樂

  1. be the first to show concern, and the last to enjoy comforts