悲欢离合 bēihuān-líhé joys and sorrows
joys and sorrows; partings and reunions; the vicissitudes of life
How to remember 悲欢离合: 悲 sorrow + 欢 joyful + 离 leave + 合 join together = joys and sorrows.
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How it is used
- Idiom for life's full emotional cycle - joys and sorrows, partings and reunions - 人生的悲欢离合 (rénshēng de bēihuān-líhé) the ups and downs of life.
- Four paired opposites (悲/欢, 离/合) summing up all life's turns; common in songs, essays, and reflections on fate.
- Used to gesture at the whole sweep of human experience, not one specific event.