塞翁失马 (Sài Wēng shī mǎ)
Meaning: A blessing in disguise; fortune is unpredictable.
Language: Chinese
Literally: The old frontiersman loses his horse
Category: Animals
Origin: From the Huainanzi; an old man's every misfortune turns to luck and back again, teaching that no event is simply good or bad.
More idioms — Animals
- 狐假虎威 (Hú jiǎ hǔ wēi) — To bully others using borrowed power.
- De kat uit de boom kijken — To wait cautiously before committing.
- De koe bij de horens vatten — To tackle a problem head-on.
- Κάνω την πάπια — To feign ignorance; to play dumb.
- Att göra en pudel — To make a public, grovelling apology.
- Robić kogoś w konia — To make a fool of or trick someone.
More Chinese idioms
- 入乡随俗 (Rù xiāng suí sú) — When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
- 一箭双雕 (Yī jiàn shuāng diāo) — To achieve two things with a single act.
- 班门弄斧 (bān mén nòng fǔ) — To display feeble skill before a true master.
- 名落孙山 (míng luò Sūn Shān) — To fail an examination.
- 雪上加霜 (Xuě shàng jiā shuāng) — To make a bad situation even worse.
- 对牛弹琴 (duì niú tán qín) — Reasoning with someone who cannot understand.
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