生不帶來，死不帶去

Chinese

		to be born; to give birth; life to be born; to give birth; life; to grow; student; raw	not; no	band; belt; girdle band; belt; girdle; ribbon; area; zone; region; wear; carry; lead; bring; consists of; show; and	to come		to die; impassable; uncrossable to die; impassable; uncrossable; inflexible; rigid	not; no	band; belt; girdle band; belt; girdle; ribbon; area; zone; region; wear; carry; lead; bring; consists of; show; and	to go; to leave; to remove
trad. (生不帶來，死不帶去)		生	不	帶	來	，	死	不	帶	去
simp. (生不带来，死不带去)		生	不	带	来	，	死	不	带	去

Etymology

Literally: You can't bring it with you from before birth, and you can't take with you after you're dead.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shēng bù dài lái, sǐ bù dài qù

  (Zhuyin): ㄕㄥ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄞˋ ㄌㄞˊ , ㄙˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄞˋ ㄑㄩˋ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shēng bù dài lái, sǐ bù dài qù [Phonetic: shēng bú dài lái, sǐ bú dài qù]
    • Zhuyin: ㄕㄥ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄞˋ ㄌㄞˊ , ㄙˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄞˋ ㄑㄩˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sheng bù dài lái, sǐh bù dài cyù
    • Wade–Giles: shêng¹ pu⁴ tai⁴ lai², ssŭ³ pu⁴ tai⁴ chʻü⁴
    • Yale: shēng bù dài lái-, sž bù dài chyù
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sheng bu day lai, syy bu day chiuh
    • Palladius: шэн бу дай лай, сы бу дай цюй (šɛn bu daj laj, sy bu daj cjuj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ taɪ̯⁵¹ laɪ̯³⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ taɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕʰy⁵¹/

Proverb

生不帶來，死不帶去

1. used to advise people to refrain from being obsessed with material possessions