A favorable period will eventually arrive!
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否极泰来 (pǐ jí tài lái) is a very well-known Chinese chengyu (成语), expressing the idea that when adversity reaches its extreme, a favorable period eventually arrives.
Character breakdown
- 否 (pǐ): misfortune, blockage, an unfavorable situation. In the Yi Jing (易经), it represents the hexagram of stagnation, where everything seems blocked.
- 极 (jí): to reach the extreme, the highest point.
- 泰 (tài): peace, prosperity, harmony. In the Yi Jing, it is the hexagram opposite 否, symbolizing a period of prosperity.
- 来 (lái): to come, to arrive.
Literal meaning
When a period of misfortune reaches its extreme, prosperity arrives.
Figurative meaning
This proverb means that:
- no difficulty lasts forever;
- after a long period of hardship, the situation eventually improves;
- setbacks can herald a fresh start.
It conveys a Chinese view that the cycles of life naturally alternate between hardship and prosperity.
