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有意栽花花不发，无心插柳柳成阴
yǒuyìzāihuāhuābùfā,wúxīnchāliǔliǔchéngyīn
Traditional: 有意栽花花不發，無心插柳柳成陰
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
Character Breakdown
有
yǒu
to have, to own, to possess; to exist
HSK 1
意
yì
thought, idea, opinion; desire, wish; meaning, intention
HSK 2
栽
zāi
to cultivate, to plant, to tend
HSK 6
花
huā
flower, blossom; to spend (time or money)
HSK 3
花
huā
flower, blossom; to spend (time or money)
HSK 3
不
bù
no, not, un-; negative prefix
HSK 1
发
fā
to issue, to dispatch, to send out; hair
HSK 3
无
wú
no, not; lacking, -less
HSK 4
心
xīn
heart; mind; soul
HSK 3
插
chā
to insert, to stick in; to pierce; to plant
HSK 5
柳
liǔ
willow tree; pleasure; surname
柳
liǔ
willow tree; pleasure; surname
成
chéng
to accomplish; to become; to complete, to finish; to succeed
HSK 3
阴
yīn
the female principle; dark, shaded; hidden, implicit, secret
HSK 2
Additional Information
Category
Chinese
HSK Character Level
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HSK Word Level
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