可遇不可求

Chinese

		can; may; able to can; may; able to; certain(ly); to suit; (particle used for emphasis)	meet with	cannot; should not; must not	to seek; to look for; to request to seek; to look for; to request; to demand; to beseech
trad. (可遇不可求)		可	遇	不可	求
simp. ^#(可遇不可求)		可	遇	不可	求
alternative forms		可遇而不可求

Etymology

From the Book of Han.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): kě yù bùkě qiú

(Zhuyin): ㄎㄜˇ ㄩˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄑㄧㄡˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): ho² jyu⁶ bat¹ ho² kau⁴

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: kě yù bùkě qiú
  - Zhuyin: ㄎㄜˇ ㄩˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄑㄧㄡˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: kě yù bùkě cióu
  - Wade–Giles: kʻo³ yü⁴ pu⁴-kʻo³ chʻiu²
  - Yale: kě yù bù-kě chyóu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: kee yuh bukee chyou
  - Palladius: кэ юй букэ цю (kɛ juj bukɛ cju)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ y⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ t͡ɕʰjoʊ̯³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: ho² jyu⁶ bat¹ ho² kau⁴
  - Yale: hó yuh bāt hó kàuh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: ho² jy⁶ bat⁷ ho² kau⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: ho² yu⁶ bed¹ ho² keo⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɔː³⁵ jyː²² pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ kʰɐu̯²¹/

Phrase

可遇不可求

(of something good or fortunate) can only be come across serendipitously; good things may happen, but may not be sought; just have to let it happen, you can't force it

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