Definition
听天由命 is a four-character idiom (成语) meaning to accept whatever happens and stop trying to control the outcome, often after exhausting one's options. It comes from the idea of 'listening to heaven and following fate' — a passive, fatalistic attitude. You can use it as a verb phrase in contexts where someone gives up active effort and resigns to fate.
f.e.
to be resigned to one's fateto let things take their course
Examples
- ，听天由命。Tā juéde zìjǐ yǐjīng jìnlì le, shèngxià de zhǐ néng tīng tiān yóu mìng.He feels he has done his best; for the rest, he can only resign to fate.
- ，听天由命。Zài nà zhǒng qíngkuàng xià, wǒmen chúle tīng tiān yóu mìng bié wú xuǎnzé.In that situation, we had no choice but to let fate decide.
- 听天由命，。Tā bú yuànyì tīng tiān yóu mìng, hái zài xiǎng bànfǎ.He doesn't want to resign to fate; he is still thinking of ways.
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