事与愿违 (shì yǔ yuàn wéi) — things go contrary to one's wishes; events turn out opposite to what was expected
Definition
A four-character idiom meaning outcomes turned out the opposite of what one wanted or planned. Often follows a 但/却 clause to mark a disappointing contrast with earlier hopes or effort.
idiom
things go contrary to one's wishesevents turn out opposite to what was expected
Examples
- ，事与愿违。Tā nǔ lì zhǔn bèi le hěn jiǔ, jié guǒ què shì yǔ yuàn wéi.He prepared hard for a long time, but the result went contrary to his wishes.
- ，事与愿违，。Běn xiǎng bāng máng, méi xiǎng dào shì yǔ yuàn wéi, fǎn ér tiān le má fan.I meant to help, but unexpectedly things went contrary to my wishes and I caused more trouble.
- ，事与愿违，。Tóu zī de shí hou tā hěn yǒu xìn xīn, zuì hòu què shì yǔ yuàn wéi, kuī le bù shǎo qián.He was very confident when investing, but in the end things went contrary to his wishes and he lost quite a bit of money.
Appears in
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