乐天知命
lè tiān zhī mìng
to be content with one’s lot and free of worry
Character by character
乐lè
rejoice in
rejoice in
天tiān
Heaven
Heaven
知zhī
know
know
命mìng
fate
fate
Example
老人家乐天知命，八十多岁了还每天种花、下象棋。
The old gentleman is at peace with his lot: in his eighties he still tends his flowers and plays chess every day.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
From the Book of Changes (乐天知命，故不忧). A calm, cheerful acceptance of life, mostly of the old; it is gentler than 听天由命 (resign oneself to fate), which suggests giving up.
Learn this in Lesson 252 · HSK 9+: 林语堂《吾国与吾民》 (Lin Yutang’s My Country and My People)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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