節哀順變

Chinese

		to restrain one's grief	to adapt to or accept changes; to be accommodating
trad. (節哀順變)		節哀	順變
simp. (节哀顺变)		节哀	顺变

Etymology

From the Book of Rites:

喪禮，哀戚之至也。節哀，順變也；君子念始之者也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

丧礼，哀戚之至也。节哀，顺变也；君子念始之者也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

Sānglǐ, āiqī zhī zhì yě. Jié'āi, shùnbiàn yě; jūnzǐ niàn shǐ zhī zhě yě. [Pinyin]

The rites of mourning are the extreme expression of grief and sadness. In modulating grief, one accords with changes; this is how the gentleman keeps mindful of those to whom we owe our being.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): jié'āishùnbiàn
(Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄞㄕㄨㄣˋ ㄅㄧㄢˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): zit³ oi¹ seon⁶ bin³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: jié'āishùnbiàn
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄞㄕㄨㄣˋ ㄅㄧㄢˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jié-aishùnbiàn
  - Wade–Giles: chieh²-ai¹-shun⁴-pien⁴
  - Yale: jyé-āi-shwùn-byàn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyeaishuennbiann
  - Palladius: цзеайшуньбянь (czeajšunʹbjanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕjɛ³⁵ ˀaɪ̯⁵⁵ ʂwən⁵¹⁻⁵³ pjɛn⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: zit³ oi¹ seon⁶ bin³
  - Yale: jit ōi seuhn bin
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dzit⁸ oi¹ soen⁶ bin³
  - Guangdong Romanization: jid³ oi¹ sên⁶ bin³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siːt̚³ ɔːi̯⁵⁵ sɵn²² piːn³³/

Idiom

節哀順變

to restrain one's grief and accept fate (used to console family of a deceased person); my condolences; rest in peace
請節哀順變！／请节哀顺变！ ― Qǐng jié'āishùnbiàn! ― My condolences; rest in peace.