福無雙至，禍不單行

Chinese

		good fortune; happiness; luck good fortune; happiness; luck; Fujian province (abbrev.); surname	not have	two; double; pair two; double; pair; both	arrive; most; to arrive; most; to; until		disaster	not; no	bill; list; form bill; list; form; single; only; sole; surname; chieftain	to go; to do; capable to go; to do; capable; all right; competent; OK; to travel; temporary; to walk; will do; behaviour; conduct; a row; profession; professional
trad. (福無雙至，禍不單行)		福	無	雙	至	，	禍	不	單	行
simp. (福无双至，祸不单行)		福	无	双	至	，	祸	不	单	行
alternative forms		福不重至，禍必重來／福不重至，祸必重来

Etymology

Alternative form of 福不重至，禍必重來 / 福不重至，祸必重来 (fú bù chóng zhì, huò bì chóng lái).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): fúwúshuāngzhì, huòbùdānxíng

  (Zhuyin): ㄈㄨˊ ㄨˊ ㄕㄨㄤ ㄓˋ , ㄏㄨㄛˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄢ ㄒㄧㄥˊ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: fúwúshuāngzhì, huòbùdānxíng
    • Zhuyin: ㄈㄨˊ ㄨˊ ㄕㄨㄤ ㄓˋ , ㄏㄨㄛˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄢ ㄒㄧㄥˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: fúwúshuangjhìh, huòbùdansíng
    • Wade–Giles: fu²-wu²-shuang¹-chih⁴, huo⁴-pu⁴-tan¹-hsing²
    • Yale: fú-wú-shwāng-jr̀-, hwò-bù-dān-syíng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: fwuwushuangjyh, huohbudanshyng
    • Palladius: фуушуанчжи, хобуданьсин (fuušuančži, xobudanʹsin)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fu³⁵ u³⁵ ʂu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ tän⁵⁵ ɕiŋ³⁵/

Proverb

福無雙至，禍不單行

1. opportunity seldom knocks twice, misfortunes never come singly

   • 未江聽罷，扯定兩個公人，說道：「卻是苦也！正是：『福無雙至，禍不單行！』」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     未江听罢，扯定两个公人，说道：「却是苦也！正是：『福无双至，祸不单行！』」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Shi Nai'an, Water Margin, circa 14^th century CE

     Wèi Jiāng tīng bà, chě dìng liǎng ge gōngrén, shuōdào: “Quèshì kǔ yě! Zhèngshì: ‘Fúwúshuāngzhì, huòbùdānxíng!’” [Pinyin]

     No sooner (Song) Jiang heard that than he clutched the two guards tightly and moaned: "Aye, woe is me! Indeed: Blessings never come in pair; misfortunes never come singly!"

See also

• 屋漏偏逢連夜雨／屋漏偏逢连夜雨 (wū lòu piān féng lián yè yǔ)
• 禍不單行／祸不单行 (huòbùdānxíng)