世态炎凉

shì tài yán liáng

people's fickleness: warm when you're up, cold when you're down

Character by character

世shì
world's

态tài
ways

炎yán
hot

凉liáng
cold

家里破产后，他尝尽了世态炎凉。

After the family went bankrupt, he learned how fickle people are.

Tone: neutral.

Warm to you when you're up, cold when you're down.

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