# 人生七十古來稀
## Chinese

| | | life | seventy; 70 | from time immemorial; since ancient times | diluted; sparse |
| trad. (人生七十古來稀) | trad. (人生七十古來稀) | 人生 | 七十 | 古來 | 稀 |
| simp. (人生七十古来稀) | simp. (人生七十古来稀) | 人生 | 七十 | 古来 | 稀 |

### Etymology

From Twisting River by 杜甫 (Du Fu):
    酒債尋常行處有，人生七十古來稀。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]酒债寻常行处有，人生七十古来稀。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]From: Du Fu (杜甫), 《曲江二首》其二; translated by Stephen OwenJiǔ zhài xúncháng xíng chù yǒu, rénshēng qīshí gǔlái xī. [Pinyin]My debts for ale are commonplace everywhere I go, for a man to live to seventy has always been quite rare.

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): rénshēng qīshí gǔlái xī
    (Zhuyin): ㄖㄣˊ ㄕㄥ ㄑㄧ ㄕˊ ㄍㄨˇ ㄌㄞˊ ㄒㄧ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): jan$^4$ sang$^1$ cat$^1$ sap$^6$ gu$^2$ loi$^4$ hei$^1$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: rénshēng qīshí gǔlái xī
*** Zhuyin: ㄖㄣˊ ㄕㄥ ㄑㄧ ㄕˊ ㄍㄨˇ ㄌㄞˊ ㄒㄧ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: rénsheng cishíh gǔlái si
*** Wade–Giles: jên$^2$-shêng$^1$ chʻi$^1$-shih$^2$ ku$^3$-lai$^2$ hsi$^1$
*** Yale: rén-shēng chī-shŕ gǔ-lái syī
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: rensheng chishyr guulai shi
*** Palladius: жэньшэн циши гулай си (žɛnʹšɛn ciši gulaj si)
*** Sinological IPA : /ʐən³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ laɪ̯³⁵ ɕi⁵⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: jan$^4$ sang$^1$ cat$^1$ sap$^6$ gu$^2$ loi$^4$ hei$^1$
*** Yale: yàhn sāng chāt sahp gú lòih hēi
*** Cantonese Pinyin: jan$^4$ sang$^1$ tsat$^7$ sap$^9$ gu$^2$ loi$^4$ hei$^1$
*** Guangdong Romanization: yen$^4$ seng$^1$ ced$^1$ seb$^6$ gu$^2$ loi$^4$ héi$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /jɐn²¹ sɐŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɐt̚⁵ sɐp̚² kuː³⁵ lɔːi̯²¹ hei̯⁵⁵/
* Middle Chinese: nyin sraeng tshit dzyip kuX loj xj+j
Rime :
| Character | 人 | 生 | 七 | 十 | 古 | 來 | 稀 |
| Reading # | 1/1 | 1/2 | 1/1 | 1/1 | 1/1 | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 日 (38) | 生 (21) | 清 (14) | 常 (25) | 見 (28) | 來 (37) | 曉 (32) |
| Final (韻) | 眞 (43) | 庚 (109) | 質 (48) | 緝 (141) | 模 (23) | 咍 (41) | 微 (20) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) | Level (Ø) | Checked (Ø) | Checked (Ø) | Rising (X) | Level (Ø) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open | Open | Open | Open | Open | Open | Open |
| Division (等) | III | II | III | III | I | I | III |
| Fanqie | 如鄰切 | 所庚切 | 親吉切 | 是執切 | 公戸切 | 洛哀切 | 香衣切 |
| Baxter | nyin | sraeng | tshit | dzyip | kuX | loj | xj+j |
| Reconstructions ||||||||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /ȵiɪn/ | /ʃˠæŋ/ | /t͡sʰiɪt̚/ | /d͡ʑiɪp̚/ | /kuo$^X$/ | /lʌi/ | /hɨi/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /ȵin/ | /ʃᵚaŋ/ | /t͡sʰit̚/ | /d͡ʑip̚/ | /kuo$^X$/ | /ləi/ | /hɨi/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /ȵʑjen/ | /ʃaŋ/ | /t͡sʰjet̚/ | /d͡ʑjep̚/ | /ko$^X$/ | /lɒi/ | /xiəi/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /ȵin/ | /ʂaɨjŋ/ | /t͡sʰit̚/ | /d͡ʑip̚/ | /kɔ$^X$/ | /ləj/ | /hɨj/ |
| Li Rong | /ȵiĕn/ | /ʃɐŋ/ | /t͡sʰiĕt̚/ | /ʑiəp̚/ | /ko$^X$/ | /lᴀi/ | /xiəi/ |
| Wang Li | /ȵʑĭĕn/ | /ʃɐŋ/ | /t͡sʰĭĕt̚/ | /ʑĭĕp̚/ | /ku$^X$/ | /lɒi/ | /xĭəi/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /ȵʑi̯ĕn/ | /ʂɐŋ/ | /t͡sʰi̯ĕt̚/ | /ʑi̯əp̚/ | /kuo$^X$/ | /lɑ̆i/ | /xe̯i/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | rén | shēng | qi | shí | gǔ | lái | xī |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | jan$^4$ | sang$^1$ | cat$^1$ | sap$^6$ | gu$^2$ | loi$^4$ | hei$^1$ |

### Proverb

人生七十古來稀
* it is rare for a person to live to seventy

#### Derived terms

* 古稀 (gǔxī)

#### See also

* 七十瓦上霜，八十不稀奇 (qīshí wǎ shàng shuāng, bāshí bù xīqí)