生死有命，富貴在天

Chinese

		to live and die; life-and-death	to have; there is; there are to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be	life; fate		wealthy and respectable; splendid; magnificent wealthy and respectable; splendid; magnificent; gorgeous	(located) at; in; exist (located) at; in; exist; (before verbs) immediately involved in; right in the middle of doing	day; sky; heaven
trad. (生死有命，富貴在天)		生死	有	命	，	富貴	在	天
simp. (生死有命，富贵在天)		生死	有	命	，	富贵	在	天
alternative forms		死生有命，富貴在天／死生有命，富贵在天

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 12 (《論語·顏淵》):

子夏曰：「商聞之矣：『死生有命，富貴在天』。君子敬而無失，與人恭而有禮，四海之內，皆兄弟也，君子何患乎無兄弟也！」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

---

子夏曰：「商闻之矣：『死生有命，富贵在天』。君子敬而无失，与人恭而有礼，四海之内，皆兄弟也，君子何患乎无兄弟也！」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Zǐxià yuē: “Shāng wén zhī yǐ: ‘Sǐshēng yǒu mìng, fùguì zài tiān’. Jūnzǐ jìng ér wú shī, yǔ rén gōng ér yǒulǐ, sìhǎi zhī nèi, jiē xiōngdì yě, jūnzǐ hé huàn hū wú xiōngdì yě!” [Pinyin]

Zixia said to him, "There is the following saying which I have heard - 'Death and life have their determined appointment; riches and honors depend upon Heaven.' Let the superior man never fail reverentially to order his own conduct, and let him be respectful to others and observant of propriety - then all within the four seas will be his brothers. What has the superior man to do with being distressed because he has no brothers?"

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shēngsǐ yǒu mìng, fùguì zài tiān

  (Zhuyin): ㄕㄥ ㄙˇ ㄧㄡˇ ㄇㄧㄥˋ , ㄈㄨˋ ㄍㄨㄟˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄊㄧㄢ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sang¹ sei² jau⁵ ming⁶, fu³ gwai³ zoi⁶ tin¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shēngsǐ yǒu mìng, fùguì zài tiān [Phonetic: shēngsíyǒumìng,fùguìzàitiān]
    • Zhuyin: ㄕㄥ ㄙˇ ㄧㄡˇ ㄇㄧㄥˋ , ㄈㄨˋ ㄍㄨㄟˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄊㄧㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shengsǐh yǒu mìng, fùguèi zài tian
    • Wade–Giles: shêng¹-ssŭ³ yu³ ming⁴, fu⁴-kuei⁴ tsai⁴ tʻien¹
    • Yale: shēng-sž yǒu mìng-, fù-gwèi dzài tyān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shengsyy yeou minq, fuhguey tzay tian
    • Palladius: шэнсы ю мин, фугуй цзай тянь (šɛnsy ju min, fuguj czaj tjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻³⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ miŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ fu⁵¹⁻⁵³ ku̯eɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: sang¹ sei² jau⁵ ming⁶, fu³ gwai³ zoi⁶ tin¹
    • Yale: sāng séi yáuh mihng, fu gwai joih tīn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sang¹ sei² jau⁵ ming⁶, fu³ gwai³ dzoi⁶ tin¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: seng¹ séi² yeo⁵ ming⁶, fu³ guei³ zoi⁶ tin¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɐŋ⁵⁵ sei̯³⁵ jɐu̯¹³ mɪŋ²² fuː³³ kʷɐi̯³³ t͡sɔːi̯²² tʰiːn⁵⁵/

Phrase

生死有命，富貴在天

1. Life and death are fated, riches and honour depend on the appointment of heaven. / Life and death, poor or rich, it's all destined.