| 有意栽花花不发，无心插柳柳成阴 |
yǒu yì zāi huā huā bù fā , wú xīn chā liǔ liǔ chéng yīn |
lit. you plant a garden and the flowers do not bloom, you poke a stick in the mud and it grows into a tree / fig. things do not always turn out as one would expect / well-laid plans may fail, and success may come where you least expect it |
| 有 |
yǒu |
to have; there is / (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意 intentional) |
| 有意 |
yǒu yì |
to intend / intentionally / interested in |
| 意 |
Yì |
Italy; Italian (abbr. for 意大利) |
| 意 |
yì |
idea / meaning / thought / to think / wish / desire / intention / to expect / to anticipate |
| 栽 |
zāi |
to plant; to grow / to insert; to erect (e.g. a bus stop sign) / to impose sth on sb / to stumble; to fall down |
| 花 |
Huā |
surname Hua |
| 花 |
huā |
flower / blossom / CL:朵,支,束,把,盆,簇 / fancy pattern / florid / to spend (money, time) / (coll.) lecherous / lustful |
| 花 |
huā |
old variant of 花 |
| 花 |
huā |
variant of 花 / flower / blossom / also pr. [wei3] |
| 花 |
Huā |
surname Hua |
| 花 |
huā |
flower / blossom / CL:朵,支,束,把,盆,簇 / fancy pattern / florid / to spend (money, time) / (coll.) lecherous / lustful |
| 花 |
huā |
old variant of 花 |
| 花 |
huā |
variant of 花 / flower / blossom / also pr. [wei3] |
| 不 |
bù |
no; not so / (bound form) not; un- |
| 发 |
fā |
to send out / to show (one's feeling) / to issue / to develop / to make a bundle of money / classifier for gunshots (rounds) |
| 发 |
fà |
hair / Taiwan pr. [fa3] |
| 无 |
mó |
used in 南无 |
| 无 |
wú |
not to have / no / none / not / to lack / un- / -less |
| 无心 |
wú xīn |
unintentionally / not in the mood to |
| 无心插柳 |
wú xīn chā liǔ |
(idiom) (of a good outcome) unanticipated / serendipitous / fortuitous |
| 无心插柳柳成阴 |
wú xīn chā liǔ liǔ chéng yīn |
lit. idly poke a stick in the mud and it grows into a tree to shade you / (fig.) unintentional actions may bring unexpected success / also written 无心插柳柳成荫 |
| 心 |
xīn |
heart / mind / intention / center / core / CL:颗,个 |
| 插 |
chā |
to insert / stick in / pierce / to take part in / to interfere / to interpose |
| 插 |
chā |
old variant of 插 |
| 柳 |
Liǔ |
surname Liu |
| 柳 |
liǔ |
willow |
| 柳 |
liǔ |
old variant of 柳 |
| 柳 |
liǔ |
old variant of 柳 |
| 柳 |
Liǔ |
surname Liu |
| 柳 |
liǔ |
willow |
| 柳 |
liǔ |
old variant of 柳 |
| 柳 |
liǔ |
old variant of 柳 |
| 成 |
Chéng |
surname Cheng / short name for Chengdu 成都 |
| 成 |
chéng |
to succeed / to finish / to complete / to accomplish / to become / to turn into / to be all right / OK! / one tenth |
| 阴 |
Yīn |
surname Yin |
| 阴 |
yīn |
overcast (weather) / cloudy / shady / Yin (the negative principle of Yin and Yang) / negative (electric.) / feminine / moon / implicit / hidden / genitalia |
| 阴 |
yīn |
variant of 阴 |