DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT
塞翁失馬
简 塞翁失马 · 繁 塞翁失馬Mandarin · pinyin sài wēng shī mǎ
Meanings
- lit. the old man lost his horse, but it all turned out for the best (idiom)
- fig. a blessing in disguise
- it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good
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Mandarin tones
4–1–1–3 · sai4 weng1 shi1 ma3
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
Connected dictionary
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Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
coi3 jung1 sat1 maa5
Cantonese word readings for 塞翁失馬. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
coi3 jung1 sat1 maa5
Pleco · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Word reading; meanings not aligned.
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
phrase
- (idiomatic) Every cloud has a silver lining. / A setback may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack