| 失之东隅，收之桑榆 |
shī zhī dōng yú , shōu zhī sāng yú |
to lose at sunrise but gain at sunset (idiom) / to compensate later for one's earlier loss / what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts |
| 失 |
shī |
to lose / to miss / to fail |
| 之 |
zhī |
(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的) / him / her / it |
| 东 |
Dōng |
surname Dong |
| 东 |
dōng |
east / host (i.e. sitting on east side of guest) / landlord |
| 隅 |
yú |
corner |
| 收 |
shōu |
to receive / to accept / to collect / to put away / to restrain / to stop / in care of (used on address line after name) |
| 收之桑榆 |
shōu zhī sāng yú |
see 失之东隅，收之桑榆 |
| 之 |
zhī |
(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的) / him / her / it |
| 桑 |
Sāng |
surname Sang |
| 桑 |
sāng |
(bound form) mulberry tree |
| 桑 |
sāng |
old variant of 桑 |
| 榆 |
yú |
elm |