- English translation
Life holds both sweet and bitter, but the bitter outweighs the sweet.
- Literal wording
The world is sweet mixed with its bitter, and its bitter is greater.
- Meaning and lesson
This saying portrays existence as a blend of delight and suffering. It does not pretend that happiness is an illusion; good moments are treated as a real part of living, present side by side with pain.
The final clause tips the balance: once the two are weighed, hardship is judged the larger portion. The result is a sober, somewhat pessimistic summary of what life tends to give.
- When it is used
Fits moments of reflection when someone admits that life brings real joys yet feels that troubles have come more often. It can console someone facing hardship by framing it as life's usual lot, while still granting that good things happen.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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