<p>I would like to offer songyuanyao's suggestion(s) in a comment as an actual answer:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>塞翁失马<br>
  (or)<br>
  塞翁失马，焉知非福</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The reason being that:</p>

<ol>
<li>To a native English speaker, the OP's description perfectly matches the English expression "Every dark cloud has a silver lining".</li>
<li>At least some online dictionaries offer this Chinese phrase and this English phrase as equivalents of each other.</li>
</ol>

<p>The Chinese is explained well <a href="http://qr.ae/RGfQO7" rel="nofollow">by Moyu Ge on Quora</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Near China's northern borders lived a man well versed in the practices of Taoism. His horse, for no reason at all, got into the territory of the northern tribes. Everyone commiserated with him.</p>
  
  <p>"Perhaps this will soon turn out to be a blessing," said his father.</p>
  
  <p>After a few months, his animal came back, leading a fine horse from the north. Everyone congratulated him.</p>
  
  <p>"Perhaps this will soon turn out to be a cause of misfortune," said his father.</p>
  
  <p>Since he was well-off and kept good horses his son became fond of riding and eventually broke his thigh bone falling from a horse. Everyone commiserated with him.</p>
  
  <p>"Perhaps this will soon turn out to be a blessing," said his father.</p>
  
  <p>One year later, the northern tribes started a big invasion of the border regions. All able-bodied young men took up arms and fought against the invaders, and as a result, around the border nine out of ten men died. This man's son did not join in the fighting because he was crippled and so both the boy and his father survived.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>References:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.cidianwang.com/cy/s/saiwengshimayanzhifeifu19928.htm" rel="nofollow">cidianwang</a></li>
<li><a href="http://chengyu.xpcha.com/7f0g89e5rtx.html" rel="nofollow">xpcha</a></li>
<li><a href="http://qr.ae/RGfQO7" rel="nofollow">quora</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-22T13:33:33.977Z
What is the exact meaning of  焉 in 塞翁失马，焉知非福. This has been already partially answered in a perfect-English translation. But what about a word-by-word translation. Does it mean "the old man lost his horses, but (he) knew (thought that was) bad luck", hence 焉: bur?
Jack Maddington
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-22T13:40:11.073Z
Good point. I'll have a look around but if anybody else knows, feel free to edit it into the answer or leave a comment here. If it's a real chengyu they can be pretty condensed quotes from literature I believe.
hippietrail
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-22T13:53:30.280Z
@JackMaddington: I found and added a good explanation from Quora. Hope this helps.
hippietrail
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-22T18:10:38.553Z
@JackMaddington 焉，安也。It means "how". 焉知非福 = how (could one) be certain (it's) not fortune.
NS.X.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-22T12:52:13.640Z
2015-07-22T13:53:05.410Z
2015-07-22T13:53:05.410Z
hippietrail
<blockquote>
  <p>凡事多往好的方面想。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>by Zedong Mao （毛泽东）</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-22T06:08:59.030Z
2015-07-22T06:08:59.030Z
Kathryn
<ul>
<li>天无绝人之路 - God will always leave a way out for you.</li>
<li>车到山前必有路 - You will always find a path no matter how high the mountain looks.</li>
<li>天塌下来有高个子顶着 - It's up to the tall guys to worry if the sky falls.</li>
</ul>

<p>These phrases are all idioms. And they well expressed the meaning of your English sentence. Literally, they reveal THE positive side in a hopeless or emergency situation, respectively.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-29T05:17:25.287Z
2015-07-29T05:24:15.893Z
2015-07-29T05:24:15.893Z
smwikipedia
<p>What Chinese idioms or sayings (哪条成语或者俗语) can be used to express the following?</p>

<p>Everything can be appreciated, when its own context is taken in consideration.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-21T06:06:47.603Z
I see 塞翁矢马焉 知非福 being stringed all together in many places as a single saying. What do the characters in 焉 知非福 mean here? Do they mean "but knowledge was leading to a false fortune?".
Jack Maddington
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-21T06:11:37.727Z
I also like 瑕不掩瑜。It means one flaw or several flaws cannot conceal the fine jade features. This expression seems to answer my question. What about if the flaws are really several or really serios. Can I stil use this expression to express that even in so much bad some good can be found?
Jack Maddington
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-22T13:28:43.937Z
Thanks for the explanatory comments. My aim is an expression which will lead all parties , animate or not, who are listening or reading the expression, to feel good about themselves, in a very generic way, without resorting to specific one-sided percentage measurements. This way the positivism both elicited in all parties, as well as imagined of any other party by any one party, will promote a conducive, harmonious, and good-feeling in all that heat this expression. I hope I have been specific enough.
Jack Maddington
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-22T13:50:37.290Z
While 瑕不掩瑜
(xiá bù yǎn yú) seems to point out that a great work cannot be disregarded as poor, I was looking for "no matter who or what, everything has something positive about it or them". Not sure if the answer by Kathrin meets this requirement, even though not a chengyu or suyu. Perhaps it does.
Jack Maddington
<idioms>
Chinese words for "everything can be viewed from a positive side"
# Chinese words for "everything can be viewed from a positive side"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-07-20)

What Chinese idioms or sayings (哪条成语或者俗语) can be used to express the following?

Everything can be appreciated, when its own context is taken in consideration.

**Tags:** idioms

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I see 塞翁矢马焉 知非福 being stringed all together in many places as a single saying. What do the characters in 焉 知非福 mean here? Do they mean "but knowledge was leading to a false fortune?".  
> **username_0**: I also like 瑕不掩瑜。It means one flaw or several flaws cannot conceal the fine jade features. This expression seems to answer my question. What about if the flaws are really several or really serios. Can I stil use this expression to express that even in so much bad some good can be found?  
> **username_0**: Thanks for the explanatory comments. My aim is an expression which will lead all parties , animate or not, who are listening or reading the expression, to feel good about themselves, in a very generic way, without resorting to specific one-sided percentage measurements. This way the positivism both elicited in all parties, as well as imagined of any other party by any one party, will promote a conducive, harmonious, and good-feeling in all that heat this expression. I hope I have been specific enough.  
> **username_0**: While 瑕不掩瑜 (xiá bù yǎn yú) seems to point out that a great work cannot be disregarded as poor, I was looking for "no matter who or what, everything has something positive about it or them". Not sure if the answer by Kathrin meets this requirement, even though not a chengyu or suyu. Perhaps it does.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-07-22. Score: 3

I would like to offer songyuanyao's suggestion(s) in a comment as an actual answer:

> 塞翁失马  
> (or)  
> 塞翁失马，焉知非福

The reason being that:

1. To a native English speaker, the OP's description perfectly matches the English expression "Every dark cloud has a silver lining".
2. At least some online dictionaries offer this Chinese phrase and this English phrase as equivalents of each other.

The Chinese is explained well [by Moyu Ge on Quora](http://qr.ae/RGfQO7):

> Near China's northern borders lived a man well versed in the practices of Taoism. His horse, for no reason at all, got into the territory of the northern tribes. Everyone commiserated with him.
>
> "Perhaps this will soon turn out to be a blessing," said his father.
>
> After a few months, his animal came back, leading a fine horse from the north. Everyone congratulated him.
>
> "Perhaps this will soon turn out to be a cause of misfortune," said his father.
>
> Since he was well-off and kept good horses his son became fond of riding and eventually broke his thigh bone falling from a horse. Everyone commiserated with him.
>
> "Perhaps this will soon turn out to be a blessing," said his father.
>
> One year later, the northern tribes started a big invasion of the border regions. All able-bodied young men took up arms and fought against the invaders, and as a result, around the border nine out of ten men died. This man's son did not join in the fighting because he was crippled and so both the boy and his father survived.

References:

* [cidianwang](http://www.cidianwang.com/cy/s/saiwengshimayanzhifeifu19928.htm)
* [xpcha](http://chengyu.xpcha.com/7f0g89e5rtx.html)
* [quora](http://qr.ae/RGfQO7)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: What is the exact meaning of  焉 in 塞翁失马，焉知非福. This has been already partially answered in a perfect-English translation. But what about a word-by-word translation. Does it mean "the old man lost his horses, but (he) knew (thought that was) bad luck", hence 焉: bur?  
> **username_1**: Good point. I'll have a look around but if anybody else knows, feel free to edit it into the answer or leave a comment here. If it's a real chengyu they can be pretty condensed quotes from literature I believe.  
> **username_1**: @username_0: I found and added a good explanation from Quora. Hope this helps.  
> **username_2**: @username_0 焉，安也。It means "how". 焉知非福 = how (could one) be certain (it's) not fortune.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-07-22. Score: 3

> 凡事多往好的方面想。

by Zedong Mao （毛泽东）


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-07-29. Score: -1

* 天无绝人之路 - God will always leave a way out for you.
* 车到山前必有路 - You will always find a path no matter how high the mountain looks.
* 天塌下来有高个子顶着 - It's up to the tall guys to worry if the sky falls.

These phrases are all idioms. And they well expressed the meaning of your English sentence. Literally, they reveal THE positive side in a hopeless or emergency situation, respectively.


---

