命裡有時終須有，命裡無時莫強求

See also: 命里有时终须有，命里无时莫强求

Chinese

	life; fate	inside; within; in inside; within; in; lining of clothing	to have; there is; there are to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be	o'clock; time; when o'clock; time; when; hour; season; period	eventually; one day	to have; there is; there are to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be		life; fate	inside; within; in inside; within; in; lining of clothing	not have	o'clock; time; when o'clock; time; when; hour; season; period	do not; there is none who	to force to; to insist on; to impose to force to; to insist on; to impose; to make peremptory demands
trad. (命裡有時終須有，命裡無時莫強求/命裏有時終須有，命裏無時莫強求)	命	裡/裏	有	時	終須	有	，	命	裡/裏	無	時	莫	強求
simp. (命里有时终须有，命里无时莫强求)	命	里	有	时	终须	有	，	命	里	无	时	莫	强求
Literally: “When you have it in your life, you eventually have it. When you do not, do not insist [on having it]”.

Etymology

From Chapter 14 of Jin Ping Mei:

富貴自是福來投，利名還有利名憂。命裡有時終須有，命裡無時莫強求。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]

富贵自是福来投，利名还有利名忧。命里有时终须有，命里无时莫强求。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

From: The Plum in the Golden Vase, circa 1610 CE

Fùguì zì shì fú lái tóu, lìmíng hái yǒu lìmíng yōu. Mìng lǐ yǒu shí zhōngxū yǒu, mìng lǐ wú shí mò qiángqiú. [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this example)

The proverb also appeared in Zengguang Xianwen (《增廣賢文》).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): mìng lǐ yǒu shí zhōngxū yǒu, mìng lǐ wú shí mò qiǎngqiú
(Zhuyin): ㄇㄧㄥˋ ㄌㄧˇ ㄧㄡˇ ㄕˊ ㄓㄨㄥㄒㄩㄧㄡˇ, ㄇㄧㄥˋ ㄌㄧˇ ㄨˊ ㄕˊ ㄇㄛˋ ㄑㄧㄤˇ ㄑㄧㄡˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): ming⁶ leoi⁵ jau⁵ si⁴ zung¹ seoi¹ jau⁵, ming⁶ leoi⁵ mou⁴ si⁴ mok⁶ koeng⁵ kau⁴

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: mìng lǐ yǒu shí zhōngxū yǒu, mìng lǐ wú shí mò qiǎngqiú [Phonetic: mìnglíyǒushízhōngxūyǒu,mìnglǐwúshímòqiǎngqiú]
  - Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄥˋ ㄌㄧˇ ㄧㄡˇ ㄕˊ ㄓㄨㄥㄒㄩㄧㄡˇ, ㄇㄧㄥˋ ㄌㄧˇ ㄨˊ ㄕˊ ㄇㄛˋ ㄑㄧㄤˇ ㄑㄧㄡˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: mìng lǐ yǒu shíh jhongsyu yǒu, mìng lǐ wú shíh mò ciǎngcióu
  - Wade–Giles: ming⁴ li³ yu³ shih² chung¹-hsü¹ yu³- ming⁴ li³ wu² shih² mo⁴ chʻiang³-chʻiu²
  - Yale: mìng lǐ yǒu shŕ jūng-syū yǒu-, mìng lǐ wú shŕ mwò chyǎng-chyóu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: minq lii yeou shyr jongshiu yeou, minq lii wu shyr moh cheangchyou
  - Palladius: мин ли ю ши чжунсюй ю, мин ли у ши мо цянцю (min li ju ši čžunsjuj ju, min li u ši mo cjancju)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /miŋ⁵¹ li²¹⁴⁻³⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ɕy⁵⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ miŋ⁵¹ li²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ u³⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ mwɔ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰjɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ t͡ɕʰjoʊ̯³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: ming⁶ leoi⁵ jau⁵ si⁴ zung¹ seoi¹ jau⁵, ming⁶ leoi⁵ mou⁴ si⁴ mok⁶ koeng⁵ kau⁴
  - Yale: mihng léuih yáuh sìh jūng sēui yáuh, mihng léuih mòuh sìh mohk kéuhng kàuh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: ming⁶ loey⁵ jau⁵ si⁴ dzung¹ soey¹ jau⁵, ming⁶ loey⁵ mou⁴ si⁴ mok⁹ koeng⁵ kau⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: ming⁶ lêu⁵ yeo⁵ xi⁴ zung¹ sêu¹ yeo⁵, ming⁶ lêu⁵ mou⁴ xi⁴ mog⁶ kêng⁵ keo⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɪŋ²² lɵy̯¹³ jɐu̯¹³ siː²¹ t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ sɵy̯⁵⁵ jɐu̯¹³ mɪŋ²² lɵy̯¹³ mou̯²¹ siː²¹ mɔːk̚² kʰœːŋ¹³ kʰɐu̯²¹/

Proverb

命裡有時終須有，命裡無時莫強求

In one's life, when one's wish comes true, it finally comes true, but one is disappointed, one doesn't insist.