老當益壯

Chinese

		old; aged; venerable old; aged; venerable; outdated; experienced; (affectionate prefix)	to act as; represent; equal to act as; represent; equal; should; fitting; suitable; adequate; proper; replace; to be; to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

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.]

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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

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	/lɑuX/	/tɑŋ/	/ʔiᴇk̚/	/t͡ʃɨɐŋH/
Pan Wuyun	/lɑuX/	/tɑŋ/	/ʔiɛk̚/	/ʈ͡ʂiɐŋH/
Shao Rongfen	/lɑuX/	/tɑŋ/	/ʔiæk̚/	/t͡ʃiɑŋH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/lawX/	/taŋ/	/ʔiajk̚/	/ʈ͡ʂɨaŋH/
Li Rong	/lɑuX/	/tɑŋ/	/ʔiɛk̚/	/t͡ʃiaŋH/
Wang Li	/lɑuX/	/tɑŋ/	/ĭɛk̚/	/t͡ʃĭaŋH/
Bernard Karlgren	/lɑuX/	/tɑŋ/	/ʔi̯ɛk̚/	/ʈ͡ʂi̯aŋH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	lǎo	dāng	yi	zhuàng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	lou5	dong1	jik1	zong3

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): lǎodāngyìzhuàng

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄠˇ ㄉㄤ ㄧˋ ㄓㄨㄤˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): lou⁵ dong¹ jik¹ zong³
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): ló-tong-ek-chòng

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lǎodāngyìzhuàng
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄠˇ ㄉㄤ ㄧˋ 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/

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• Middle Chinese: lawX tang 'jiek tsrjangH

Idiom

老當益壯

1. 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?