分久必合，合久必分

Chinese

		to divide; minute; (a measure word) to divide; minute; (a measure word); (a unit of leng)	(long) time; (long) duration of time	certainly; must; will certainly; must; will; necessarily	to close; to gather; to join to close; to gather; to join; to fit; all; together		to close; to gather; to join to close; to gather; to join; to fit; all; together	(long) time; (long) duration of time	certainly; must; will certainly; must; will; necessarily	to divide; minute; (a measure word) to divide; minute; (a measure word); (a unit of leng)
trad. (分久必合，合久必分)		分	久	必	合	，	合	久	必	分
simp. #(分久必合，合久必分)		分	久	必	合	，	合	久	必	分

Etymology

From Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter One (first line after the opening poem).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): fēnjiǔbìhé, héjiǔbìfēn

  (Zhuyin): ㄈㄣ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄅㄧˋ ㄏㄜˊ , ㄏㄜˊ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄅㄧˋ ㄈㄣ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: fēnjiǔbìhé, héjiǔbìfēn
    • Zhuyin: ㄈㄣ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄅㄧˋ ㄏㄜˊ , ㄏㄜˊ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄅㄧˋ ㄈㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: fenjiǒubìhé, héjiǒubìfen
    • Wade–Giles: fên¹-chiu³-pi⁴-ho², ho²-chiu³-pi⁴-fên¹
    • Yale: fēn-jyǒu-bì-hé-, hé-jyǒu-bì-fēn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: fenjeoubihher, herjeoubihfen
    • Palladius: фэньцзюбихэ, хэцзюбифэнь (fɛnʹczjubixɛ, xɛczjubifɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fən⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pi⁵¹ xɤ³⁵ xɤ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pi⁵¹ fən⁵⁵/

Proverb

分久必合，合久必分

1. (literal) That which is long divided must unify; that which is long unified must divide.
2. (figurative) worldly affairs are constantly changing