03/03/2026
CANTONESE IDIOM SERIES
塞翁失馬 (coi3 jung1 sat1 maa5)
Literally: The old man who lost his horse 🐴
Meaning: A bad situation might turn out to be good
The story behind this idiom is about an old man called 塞翁 who's mare broke out of its enclosure and runs away. His neighbors expressed their sorrow for his loss, but the old man said, "Maybe it's not a bad thing." A few months later, his mare came back and brought a beautiful stallion. His neighbor's commented on his good luck, but 塞翁 cautiously said, "What if this is not a good thing?" Sure enough, his son who was taming the stallion fell off and broke his leg. Shortly afterwards, war broke out and many young men were drafted, but the son did not have to go to war because of his broken leg. His neighbors now understood 塞翁 wisdom.
This is the equivalent of "every cloud has a silver lining" and "a blessing in disguise" in English. This idiom teaches us that bad luck may bring good fortune later. A timeless reminder of resilience and hope. 🌟