Definition
悲欢离合 (bēi huān lí hé) describes life’s ups and downs through external events: sorrow, joy, separation, and reunion — the twists of relationships and circumstances. It differs from 喜怒哀乐 (xǐ nù āi lè), which names internal emotions (happiness, anger, sorrow, joy), and from 酸甜苦辣 (suān tián kǔ là), which uses taste metaphors for the full range of life's hardships and pleasures.
phrase
the vicissitudes of lifejoys and sorrowspartings and reunions (four-character idiom)
Examples
- 悲欢离合。Rénshēng zhōng de bēi huān lí hé ràng rén chéngzhǎng.The vicissitudes of life make people grow.
- 悲欢离合。Zhè bù diànshìjù jiǎngshù le jiāzú de bēi huān lí hé.This TV drama tells the vicissitudes of a family.
- 悲欢离合，。Jīnglì guò bēi huān lí hé, cái huì gèng dǒngde zhēnxī.Only after experiencing vicissitudes will you truly learn to cherish.
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