樂極生悲

Chinese

		music; happy; laugh music; happy; laugh; cheerful	utmost; pole; extreme utmost; pole; extreme; to reach the limit	to be born; to give birth; life to be born; to give birth; life; to grow; student; raw	sad; sadness; sorrow sad; sadness; sorrow; grief
trad. (樂極生悲)		樂	極	生	悲
simp. (乐极生悲)		乐	极	生	悲
Literally: “extreme joy turns into sorrow”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): lèjíshēngbēi

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄜˋ ㄐㄧˊ ㄕㄥ ㄅㄟ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): lok⁶ gik⁶ sang¹ bei¹
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): lo̍k-ke̍k-seng-pi

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lèjíshēngbēi
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄜˋ ㄐㄧˊ ㄕㄥ ㄅㄟ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lèjíshengbei
    • Wade–Giles: lê⁴-chi²-shêng¹-pei¹
    • Yale: lè-jí-shēng-bēi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lehjyishengbei
    • Palladius: лэцзишэнбэй (lɛczišɛnbɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɤ⁵¹ t͡ɕi³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ peɪ̯⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: lok⁶ gik⁶ sang¹ bei¹
    • Yale: lohk gihk sāng bēi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: lok⁹ gik⁹ sang¹ bei¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: log⁶ gig⁶ seng¹ béi¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɔːk̚² kɪk̚² sɐŋ⁵⁵ pei̯⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lo̍k-ke̍k-seng-pi
    • Tâi-lô: lo̍k-ki̍k-sing-pi
    • Phofsit Daibuun: logkegsengpy
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /lɔk̚⁴⁻³² kiɪk̚⁴⁻³² siɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ pi⁴⁴/

Idiom

樂極生悲

1. a joyful situation turns sorrowful at its climax