人生七十古來稀

Chinese

		life	seventy; 70	from time immemorial; since ancient times	diluted; sparse
trad. (人生七十古來稀)		人生	七十	古來	稀
simp. (人生七十古来稀)		人生	七十	古来	稀

Etymology

From Twisting River by 杜甫 (Du Fu):

酒債尋常行處有，人生七十古來稀。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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酒债寻常行处有，人生七十古来稀。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Du Fu (杜甫), 《曲江二首》其二; translated by Stephen Owen

Jiǔ zhài xúncháng xíng chù yǒu, rénshēng qīshí gǔlái xī. [Pinyin]

My debts for ale are commonplace everywhere I go, for a man to live to seventy has always been quite rare.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): rénshēng qīshí gǔlái xī

  (Zhuyin): ㄖㄣˊ ㄕㄥ ㄑㄧ ㄕˊ ㄍㄨˇ ㄌㄞˊ ㄒㄧ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jan⁴ sang¹ cat¹ sap⁶ gu² loi⁴ hei¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: rénshēng qīshí gǔlái xī
    • Zhuyin: ㄖㄣˊ ㄕㄥ ㄑㄧ ㄕˊ ㄍㄨˇ ㄌㄞˊ ㄒㄧ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: rénsheng cishíh gǔlái si
    • Wade–Giles: jên²-shêng¹ chʻi¹-shih² ku³-lai² hsi¹
    • Yale: rén-shēng chī-shŕ gǔ-lái syī
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: rensheng chishyr guulai shi
    • Palladius: жэньшэн циши гулай си (žɛnʹšɛn ciši gulaj si)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʐən³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ laɪ̯³⁵ ɕi⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jan⁴ sang¹ cat¹ sap⁶ gu² loi⁴ hei¹
    • Yale: yàhn sāng chāt sahp gú lòih hēi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jan⁴ sang¹ tsat⁷ sap⁹ gu² loi⁴ hei¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yen⁴ seng¹ ced¹ seb⁶ gu² loi⁴ héi¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐn²¹ sɐŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɐt̚⁵ sɐp̚² kuː³⁵ lɔːi̯²¹ hei̯⁵⁵/

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• Middle Chinese: nyin sraeng tshit dzyip kuX loj xj+j

Rime
Character	人	生	七	十	古	來	稀
Reading #	1/1	1/2	1/1	1/1	1/1	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	日 (38)	生 (21)	清 (14)	常 (25)	見 (28)	來 (37)	曉 (32)
Final (韻)	眞 (43)	庚 (109)	質 (48)	緝 (141)	模 (23)	咍 (41)	微 (20)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Checked (Ø)	Checked (Ø)	Rising (X)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	II	III	III	I	I	III
Fanqie	如鄰切	所庚切	親吉切	是執切	公戸切	洛哀切	香衣切
Baxter	nyin	sraeng	tshit	dzyip	kuX	loj	xj+j
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ȵiɪn/	/ʃˠæŋ/	/t͡sʰiɪt̚/	/d͡ʑiɪp̚/	/kuoX/	/lʌi/	/hɨi/
Pan Wuyun	/ȵin/	/ʃᵚaŋ/	/t͡sʰit̚/	/d͡ʑip̚/	/kuoX/	/ləi/	/hɨi/
Shao Rongfen	/ȵʑjen/	/ʃaŋ/	/t͡sʰjet̚/	/d͡ʑjep̚/	/koX/	/lɒi/	/xiəi/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ȵin/	/ʂaɨjŋ/	/t͡sʰit̚/	/d͡ʑip̚/	/kɔX/	/ləj/	/hɨj/
Li Rong	/ȵiĕn/	/ʃɐŋ/	/t͡sʰiĕt̚/	/ʑiəp̚/	/koX/	/lᴀi/	/xiəi/
Wang Li	/ȵʑĭĕn/	/ʃɐŋ/	/t͡sʰĭĕt̚/	/ʑĭĕp̚/	/kuX/	/lɒi/	/xĭəi/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ȵʑi̯ĕn/	/ʂɐŋ/	/t͡sʰi̯ĕt̚/	/ʑi̯əp̚/	/kuoX/	/lɑ̆i/	/xe̯i/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	rén	shēng	qi	shí	gǔ	lái	xī
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jan4	sang1	cat1	sap6	gu2	loi4	hei1

Proverb

人生七十古來稀

1. it is rare for a person to live to seventy

Derived terms

• 古稀 (gǔxī)

 

See also

• 七十瓦上霜，八十不稀奇 (qīshí wǎ shàng shuāng, bāshí bù xīqí)