<p>According to this:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>“人无千日好，花无百日红”比喻好景不长或友情难以持久。现指人生不是一帆风顺的，会遭受大大小小的挫折与磨难，英雄自古多磨难。同时会有许多落魄的凤凰不如鸡，更会有虎落平阳被犬欺的人生之路。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It seems that the proverb connotes more meanings: </p>

<ol>
<li><p>it expresses friendship could not be lasting very long time. </p></li>
<li><p>Life is not easy; Something bad could happen and etc. </p></li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-01T14:48:50.157Z
2017-12-01T14:48:50.157Z
dan
<p>It's an old Chinese proverb, that's why there are some words missing.</p>

<p>In old times, as long as people can understand what you mean, you can omit as many as words you want.</p>

<p>The whole sentence is</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>人无千日好，花无百日红。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Here, <code>好</code> means <code>happy</code>, <code>happy life</code>, <code>good life</code>, or <code>easy life</code>.</p>

<p>And <code>百</code>, <code>千</code>, <code>万</code> in Chinese proverbs or idioms usually refers to <code>a very long time</code></p>

<p>So the whole sentence's meaning is:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>There is no person can be happy for a thousand days, and there is no flower can bloom for a hundred days.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>which means:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Someone is happy for now doesn't mean he can be happy forever.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>it also means:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Someone (maybe your friend) is nice to you now doesn't mean he can be nice to you forever.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>it's like the proverb in English:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>For age and want save while you may; no morning sun lasts a whole day</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-30T18:55:00.460Z
Good point; languages evolve over time and proverbs in English can be just as odd.
Guest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-30T18:42:37.590Z
2017-12-01T17:17:23.830Z
2017-12-01T17:17:23.830Z
Vision Chang
<p><a href="http://carlgene.com/blog/2010/12/33-proverbs-that-translate-well-between-english-and-mandarin/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">From here</a>.  The literal translation is:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Person no 1000 days good (人无千日好).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The author says this translates into:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>There is no person that has 1000 good days in a row</p>
</blockquote>

<p>That's a bit of added words and meaning.  I don't see anything to do with <code>in a row</code> in the sentence and it's not clear that the 1000 days belongs to the person.</p>

<p>Why doesn't this sentence require a <code>的</code> to indicate that the 1000 days belongs to the person (or <code>person has no 1000 days good</code>).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-30T17:52:54.490Z
bkrs：人无千日好 Life is not always happy.人无千日好， **花无百日红**  A man is never happy for a thousand days and a flower never blooms for a hundred.; Man cannot be always fortunate; Flowers do not last forever.; Men cannot be good for a thousand days, and flowers cannot bloom for a hundred days.; Nobody is always happy.
apparently  **歇后语**  a two-part allegorical saying, of which the first part, always stated, is descriptive, while the second part, sometimes unstated, carries the message，２nd part 花无百日红
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-30T18:16:29.537Z
particularly many 歇后语 starting with 人 （cf.＂汉语熟语小词典＂）人不可貌相，海水不可斗量。人多力量大，柴多火焰高。人挪活，树挪死。人怕出名猪怕壮。人上有人，山外有山。人心齐，泰山移。
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-06T12:20:20.440Z
The negative mirror-image to the sayings in question is 天有不测风云，人有旦夕祸福, (Tiān yǒu bùcè fēngyún, rén yǒu dànxì huò fú) Just as the weather can turn unexpectedly bad, people's misfortune could happen by the next day.
Wayne Cheah
<proverb><possessives>
人无千日好: Literal Translation Is Completely Different
# 人无千日好: Literal Translation Is Completely Different

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-30)

[From here](http://carlgene.com/blog/2010/12/33-proverbs-that-translate-well-between-english-and-mandarin/). The literal translation is:

> Person no 1000 days good (人无千日好).

The author says this translates into:

> There is no person that has 1000 good days in a row

That's a bit of added words and meaning. I don't see anything to do with `in a row` in the sentence and it's not clear that the 1000 days belongs to the person.

Why doesn't this sentence require a `的` to indicate that the 1000 days belongs to the person (or `person has no 1000 days good`).

**Tags:** proverb, possessives

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: bkrs：人无千日好 Life is not always happy.人无千日好， **花无百日红**  A man is never happy for a thousand days and a flower never blooms for a hundred.; Man cannot be always fortunate; Flowers do not last forever.; Men cannot be good for a thousand days, and flowers cannot bloom for a hundred days.; Nobody is always happy. apparently  **歇后语**  a two-part allegorical saying, of which the first part, always stated, is descriptive, while the second part, sometimes unstated, carries the message，２nd part 花无百日红  
> **username_1**: particularly many 歇后语 starting with 人 （cf.＂汉语熟语小词典＂）人不可貌相，海水不可斗量。人多力量大，柴多火焰高。人挪活，树挪死。人怕出名猪怕壮。人上有人，山外有山。人心齐，泰山移。  
> **username_2**: The negative mirror-image to the sayings in question is 天有不测风云，人有旦夕祸福, (Tiān yǒu bùcè fēngyún, rén yǒu dànxì huò fú) Just as the weather can turn unexpectedly bad, people's misfortune could happen by the next day.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2017-11-30. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

It's an old Chinese proverb, that's why there are some words missing.

In old times, as long as people can understand what you mean, you can omit as many as words you want.

The whole sentence is

> 人无千日好，花无百日红。

Here, `好` means `happy`, `happy life`, `good life`, or `easy life`.

And `百`, `千`, `万` in Chinese proverbs or idioms usually refers to `a very long time`

So the whole sentence's meaning is:

> There is no person can be happy for a thousand days, and there is no flower can bloom for a hundred days.

which means:

> Someone is happy for now doesn't mean he can be happy forever.

it also means:

> Someone (maybe your friend) is nice to you now doesn't mean he can be nice to you forever.

it's like the proverb in English:

> For age and want save while you may; no morning sun lasts a whole day

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Good point; languages evolve over time and proverbs in English can be just as odd.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-12-01. Score: 2

According to this:

> “人无千日好，花无百日红”比喻好景不长或友情难以持久。现指人生不是一帆风顺的，会遭受大大小小的挫折与磨难，英雄自古多磨难。同时会有许多落魄的凤凰不如鸡，更会有虎落平阳被犬欺的人生之路。

It seems that the proverb connotes more meanings:

1. it expresses friendship could not be lasting very long time.
2. Life is not easy; Something bad could happen and etc.


---

