Definition
乐极生悲 is a four-character idiom (成语) meaning that when happiness reaches its peak, it often turns into sorrow. It warns against overindulgence or excessive celebration, reminding you that extreme emotions can lead to negative consequences. Use it to advise moderation or to reflect on a situation where joy was followed by misfortune.
f.e.
extreme joy begets sorrowtoo much happiness can lead to tragedy
Examples
- ，乐极生悲，。Tā yíng le cǎipiào hòu dàsì qìngzhù, méi xiǎngdào lè jí shēng bēi, bùjiǔ jiù pòchǎn le.After winning the lottery, he celebrated wildly; unexpectedly, extreme joy begets sorrow, and he went bankrupt soon after.
- 乐极生悲，。Wǒmen yīnggāi jìzhù lè jí shēng bēi de dàolǐ, bùyào déyì wàngxíng.We should remember the principle that extreme joy begets sorrow, and not get carried away with pride.
- ，乐极生悲，。Bǐsài shènglì hòu tāmen guòyú xīngfèn, jiéguǒ lè jí shēng bēi, zài juésài zhōng shīlì le.After winning the match, they were too excited; as a result, extreme joy begets sorrow, and they lost in the final.
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