jan4 jau5 saam1 seoi1 luk6 wong6人有三衰六旺
Jyutpingjan4 jau5 saam1 seoi1 luk6 wong6
Yaleyàhn yáuh sāam sēui luhk wohng
Definition
One's life has ups and downs; people experience alternating periods of bad luck and good fortune.
colloquialother
How it's used
This idiom is used to comfort someone during a period of misfortune or to provide perspective on the unpredictable nature of life. It emphasizes that cycles of luck are inevitable and that current difficulties are temporary. It is frequently used in casual conversation to encourage resilience.
Examples
Life is full of ups and downs, don't take it too hard.
Even though things aren't going well for you now, life has its ups and downs.
Related words
Common phrases
Life has its ups and downs
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
