📖 Meaning
Refers to having bad luck and being in adverse circumstances. It describes a situation where one's fortune is poor and the times are unfavorable, leading to difficulties and setbacks in life.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom appears in Yuan dynasty literature. It is found in the playwright Guan Hanqing's work 'Wu Hou Yan' (The Banquet of the Five Marquises), Act 5, where a character laments their misfortune despite their best efforts. It also appears in Wang Dexin's 'Si Kuai Yu' (Four Pieces of Jade) song suite, where the singer questions whether fate is simply unkind. The phrase expresses the frustration of being caught in a period of bad luck and unfavorable circumstances.
💡 Example Usage
他一生运拙时乖，到老也没有什么成就。
He had bad luck and unfavorable circumstances throughout his life, and achieved nothing even in his old age.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 运拙时乖
- Pinyin: yùn zhuō shí guāi
- Literal Translation: luck, poor, times, contrary
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4