可遇不可求

Chinese

		can; may; able to can; may; able to; certain(ly); to suit; (particle used for emphasis)	meet with	cannot; should not; must not	to seek; to look for; to request to seek; to look for; to request; to demand; to beseech
trad. (可遇不可求)		可	遇	不可	求
simp. #(可遇不可求)		可	遇	不可	求
alternative forms		可遇而不可求

Etymology

From the Book of Han.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): kě yù bùkě qiú

  (Zhuyin): ㄎㄜˇ ㄩˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄑㄧㄡˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ho² jyu⁶ bat¹ ho² kau⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: kě yù bùkě qiú
    • Zhuyin: ㄎㄜˇ ㄩˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄑㄧㄡˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: kě yù bùkě cióu
    • Wade–Giles: kʻo³ yü⁴ pu⁴-kʻo³ chʻiu²
    • Yale: kě yù bù-kě chyóu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: kee yuh bukee chyou
    • Palladius: кэ юй букэ цю (kɛ juj bukɛ cju)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ y⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ho² jyu⁶ bat¹ ho² kau⁴
    • Yale: hó yuh bāt hó kàuh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ho² jy⁶ bat⁷ ho² kau⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: ho² yu⁶ bed¹ ho² keo⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɔː³⁵ jyː²² pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ kʰɐu̯²¹/

Phrase

可遇不可求

1. (of something good or fortunate) can only be come across serendipitously; good things may happen, but may not be sought; just have to let it happen, you can't force it