生老病死 (shēng lǎo bìng sǐ) — the four inevitable stages of life: birth, aging, illness, and death; the cycle of human suffering

Definition

A set phrase for the four unavoidable stages of every human life: birth, aging, illness, and death. Used to talk about life's inevitable suffering or as a thematic subject in art and philosophy.

idiom
the four inevitable stages of life: birth, aging, illness, and deaththe cycle of human suffering

Examples

  • 生老病死。
    shēng lǎo bìng sǐ Shì měi gè rén dōu wú fǎ bì miǎn de.
    Birth, aging, illness, and death are unavoidable for everyone.
  • 生老病死。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng shēn kè dì tàn tǎo le shēng lǎo bìng sǐ de zhǔ tí.
    This film deeply explores the theme of the four stages of life.
  • 生老病死,。
    Miàn duì shēng lǎo bìng sǐ, tā biǎo xiàn dé fēi cháng tǎn rán.
    Facing birth, aging, illness, and death, he acted very calmly.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

老lǎoaging
病bìngillness
死sǐdeath

The characters name birth, aging, illness and death, listed side by side as the inevitable stages of human life.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape 老 combines 人 (man), 毛 (hair), and 匕 (cane), showing a man with long hair leaning on a cane.

Open 老 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
疒疒nèsickness
Sound part声符shēngfú
丙
丙bǐng病bìng
Same sound today

病 pairs 疒, a sickness mark, with 丙, which gives the sound; 丙 also means fire, giving a picture of lying feverishly in bed.

Open 病 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Sound part声符shēngfú
尸
尸shī死sǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

死 is built from 歹 and 尸: 歹 is the part tied to the meaning, and 尸 gives the sound.

Open 死 →

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