生死有命，富貴在天

Chinese

	to live and die; life-and-death	to have; there is; there are to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be	life; fate		wealthy and respectable; splendid; magnificent wealthy and respectable; splendid; magnificent; gorgeous	(located) at; in; exist (located) at; in; exist; (before verbs) immediately involved in; right in the middle of doing	day; sky; heaven
trad. (生死有命，富貴在天)	生死	有	命	，	富貴	在	天
simp. (生死有命，富贵在天)	生死	有	命	，	富贵	在	天
alternative forms	死生有命，富貴在天／死生有命，富贵在天

Etymology

From the Analects:

商聞之矣：死生有命，富貴在天。君子敬而無失，與人恭而有禮。四海之內，皆兄弟也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

商闻之矣：死生有命，富贵在天。君子敬而无失，与人恭而有礼。四海之内，皆兄弟也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Shāng wén zhī yǐ: sǐshēng yǒu mìng, fùguì zài tiān. Jūnzǐ jìng ér wú shī, yǔ rén gōng ér yǒulǐ. Sìhǎi zhī nèi, jiē xiōngdì yě. [Pinyin]

There is the following saying which I have heard – ‘Death and life have their determined appointment; riches and honors depend upon Heaven.’ Let the superior man never fail reverentially to order his own conduct, and let him be respectful to others and observant of propriety – then all within the four seas will be his brothers.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): shēngsǐ yǒu mìng, fùguì zài tiān
(Zhuyin): ㄕㄥㄙˇ ㄧㄡˇ ㄇㄧㄥˋ, ㄈㄨˋ ㄍㄨㄟˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄊㄧㄢ
Cantonese (Jyutping): sang¹ sei² jau⁵ ming⁶, fu³ gwai³ zoi⁶ tin¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: shēngsǐ yǒu mìng, fùguì zài tiān [Phonetic: shēngsíyǒumìng,fùguìzàitiān]
  - Zhuyin: ㄕㄥㄙˇ ㄧㄡˇ ㄇㄧㄥˋ, ㄈㄨˋ ㄍㄨㄟˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄊㄧㄢ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: shengsǐh yǒu mìng, fùguèi zài tian
  - Wade–Giles: shêng¹-ssŭ³ yu³ ming⁴- fu⁴-kuei⁴ tsai⁴ tʻien¹
  - Yale: shēng-sž yǒu mìng-, fù-gwèi dzài tyān
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shengsyy yeou minq, fuhguey tzay tian
  - Palladius: шэнсы ю мин, фугуй цзай тянь (šɛnsy ju min, fuguj czaj tjanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻³⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ miŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ fu⁵¹⁻⁵³ kweɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ tʰjɛn⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: sang¹ sei² jau⁵ ming⁶, fu³ gwai³ zoi⁶ tin¹
  - Yale: sāng séi yáuh mihng, fu gwai joih tīn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sang¹ sei² jau⁵ ming⁶, fu³ gwai³ dzoi⁶ tin¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: seng¹ séi² yeo⁵ ming⁶, fu³ guei³ zoi⁶ tin¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɐŋ⁵⁵ sei̯³⁵ jɐu̯¹³ mɪŋ²² fuː³³ kʷɐi̯³³ t͡sɔːi̯²² tʰiːn⁵⁵/

Phrase

生死有命，富貴在天

Life and death are fated, riches and honour depend on the appointment of heaven. / Life and death, poor or rich, it's all destined.