有意栽花花不发,无心插柳柳成阴 有意栽花花不發,無心插柳柳成陰 有意栽花花不發,無心插柳柳成陰

plant flowers on purpose and they don't bloom; stick in willow twigs carelessly and they grow into shade

Saying俗语俗語

Proverb谚语諺語 · In everyday use

Meaning
What you work hard for often fails, while what you do without intending sometimes succeeds. Resembles 'a watched pot never boils' in spirit.
Simplified
有意栽花花不发,无心插柳柳成阴
Traditional (Taiwan)
有意栽花花不發,無心插柳柳成陰
Pinyin
yǒuyì zāihuā huā bù fā, wúxīnchāliǔliǔchéngyīn
Bopomofo
ㄧㄡˇ ㄧˋ ㄗㄞ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄚ,ㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄔㄚ ㄌㄧㄡˇ ㄌㄧㄡˇ ㄔㄥˊ ㄧㄣ

Written with HSK 7-9 vocabulary, at CEFR level C1.

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