老當益壯

More information old; aged; venerableold; aged; venerable; outdated; experienced; (affectionate prefix), to act as; represent; equalto act as; represent; equal; should; fitting; suitable; adequate; proper; replace; to be; to hold a position; manage; withstand; when; during; ought; match equally; same; obstruct; just at (a time or place); on the spot; right; just at ...

		old; aged; venerable old; aged; venerable; outdated; experienced; (affectionate prefix)	to act as; represent; equal to act as; represent; equal; should; fitting; suitable; adequate; proper; replace; to be; to hold a position; manage; withstand; when; during; ought; match equally; same; obstruct; just at (a time or place); on the spot; right; just at	benefit; increase	to strengthen; strong; robust
trad. (老當益壯)		老	當	益	壯
simp. (老当益壮)		老	当	益	壮

Close

Etymology

From a quote of Ma Yuan in the Book of the Later Han by 范曄 (Fan Ye):

丈夫為志，窮當益堅，老當益壯。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

丈夫为志，穷当益坚，老当益壮。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of the Later Han, circa 5^th century CE

Zhàngfū wèi zhì, qióng dāng yì jiān, lǎodāngyìzhuàng. [Pinyin]

When a real man shows resolve, he becomes stronger when in distress, and more ambitious when he ages.

Pronunciation

More information Rime, Character ...

Rime
Character	老	當	益	壯
Reading #	1/1	1/2	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	來 (37)	端 (5)	影 (34)	莊 (18)
Final (韻)	豪 (89)	唐 (101)	昔 (123)	陽 (105)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Level (Ø)	Checked (Ø)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	I	III	III
Fanqie	盧晧切	都郎切	伊昔切	側亮切
Baxter	lawX	tang	'jiek	tsrjangH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/lɑu^X/	/tɑŋ/	/ʔiᴇk̚/	/t͡ʃɨɐŋ^H/
Pan Wuyun	/lɑu^X/	/tɑŋ/	/ʔiɛk̚/	/ʈ͡ʂiɐŋ^H/
Shao Rongfen	/lɑu^X/	/tɑŋ/	/ʔiæk̚/	/t͡ʃiɑŋ^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/law^X/	/taŋ/	/ʔiajk̚/	/ʈ͡ʂɨaŋ^H/
Li Rong	/lɑu^X/	/tɑŋ/	/ʔiɛk̚/	/t͡ʃiaŋ^H/
Wang Li	/lɑu^X/	/tɑŋ/	/ĭɛk̚/	/t͡ʃĭaŋ^H/
Bernhard Karlgren	/lɑu^X/	/tɑŋ/	/ʔi̯ɛk̚/	/ʈ͡ʂi̯aŋ^H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	lǎo	dāng	yi	zhuàng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	lou⁵	dong¹	jik¹	zong³

Close

Mandarin
(Pinyin): lǎodāngyìzhuàng

(Zhuyin): ㄌㄠˇ ㄉㄤㄧˋ ㄓㄨㄤˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): lou⁵ dong¹ jik¹ zong³
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): ló-tong-ek-chòng

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: lǎodāngyìzhuàng
  - Zhuyin: ㄌㄠˇ ㄉㄤㄧˋ ㄓㄨㄤˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: lǎodangyìjhuàng
  - Wade–Giles: lao³-tang¹-i⁴-chuang⁴
  - Yale: lǎu-dāng-yì-jwàng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: laodangyihjuanq
  - Palladius: лаоданъичжуан (laodanʺičžuan)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tɑŋ⁵⁵ i⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂu̯ɑŋ⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: lou⁵ dong¹ jik¹ zong³
  - Yale: lóuh dōng yīk jong
  - Cantonese Pinyin: lou⁵ dong¹ jik⁷ dzong³
  - Guangdong Romanization: lou⁵ dong¹ yig¹ zong³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lou̯¹³ tɔːŋ⁵⁵ jɪk̚⁵ t͡sɔːŋ³³/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ló-tong-ek-chòng
  - Tâi-lô: ló-tong-ik-tsòng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: loy'dong'ekzoxng
  - IPA (Xiamen): /lo⁵³⁻⁴⁴ tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² iɪk̚³²⁻⁴ t͡sɔŋ²¹/

Middle Chinese: lawX tang 'jiek tsrjangH

Idiom

老當益壯

to have one's ambition or resolve growing stronger even though he or she is old
- 老當益壯，寧移白首之心？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  老当益壮，宁移白首之心？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: 7th century, 王勃 (Wang Bo), 《滕王閣序》
  Lǎodāngyìzhuàng, níng yí báishǒu zhī xīn? [Pinyin]
  Though being old, we should be more ambitious; how can we change our ambitions when our hair is greying?