塞翁失馬安知非福 sài wēng shī mǎ ān zhī fēi fú

misfortune may bring good; a blessing in disguise

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. the old man lost his mare, but it all turned out for the best (idiom); fig. a blessing in disguise
  2. 2. also written 塞翁失馬焉知非福sài wēng shī mǎ yān zhī fēi fú
  3. 3. it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good

Characters

Character Meaning
塞 sài HSK 6
to stuff; to stop up; to squeeze in
翁 wēng
elderly man; surname Weng; father-in-law
失 shī HSK 4
to lose; to miss; to fail
馬 mǎ
horse; surname Ma
安 ān HSK 3
safe; secure; safety
知 zhī HSK 2
to know; to be aware
非 fēi HSK 2
not; to not be; non-
福 fú HSK 4
good fortune; luck; happiness