# What doesn't kill you makes you stronger



## soniq2005

Hello.
I would like to know how do you translate " What doesn`t kill you makes you stronger" in chinese language, because i want to get a tatoo with this saying and i can`t find what`s the translation.

Thank you.


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## Oosterwyck

直譯：它不但殺不了你，反倒使你更強壯． 意譯：把吃苦當作吃補．（越挫越勇）。


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## soniq2005

直譯：它不但殺不了你，反倒使你更強壯． 意譯：把吃苦當作吃補．（越挫越勇）。

all of these symbols mean that? what`s with the ":" "," etc. ? 
i think i don`t understand too well


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## BODYholic

'，' = comma
'。' = Full stop
'：' = Colon (but was misused here. The writer merely used it as signs to separate/differentiate sentences.)

直譯：它不但殺不了你，反倒使你更強壯．
Direct translation (i.e. word for word) : blah blah ....

意譯：把吃苦當作吃補．
Translation with equivalent meaning : blah blah ....

越挫越勇
He then quoted a Chinese proverb saying which has similar meaning to your statement.

If you are getting a tattoo with Chinese characters, I suggest you find a short one. Typically 4 characters and preferably with a good meaning to it.


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## soniq2005

well, this is a good meaning for me, it means something and stuff..
so  what`s the meaning of 越挫越勇 ?

thx a lot


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## pixEl2lifEx109

It basically means the more you go at it the stronger you become.  It's a proverb for resilience, but I don't know if it's exactly what you intend to say.


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## aaron792

How about "大难不死，必有后福"？


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## avlee

Aaron's version is much closer to the original words which inspires me more or less in creating my version - '挫而弥坚'. As thus, Soniq's version is another alternative.


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## BODYholic

soniq2005 said:


> well, this is a good meaning for me, it means something and stuff..
> so  what`s the meaning of 越挫越勇 ?
> 
> thx a lot



Firstly, I would like to retract what I mentioned earlier that '越挫越勇' is a Chinese proverb. On second thought, it looks just like a common saying, it may not be a proverb. I am not sure.

Next, the meaning.
1. 越= The more
2. 挫= setback
3. 越= see #1
4. 勇= courage
In English, it may be loosely translated as 'when the going gets tough, the tough gets going.'.


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## summerflower

aaron792 said:


> How about "大难不死，必有后福"？


 
I agree with aaron's translation. Cause it's "what doesn't KILL you makes you stronger", not "difficulties make you stronger".


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## samanthalee

aaron792 said:


> How about "大难不死，必有后福"？


That's not exactly what the English phrase meant... "大难不死，必有后福" has a meaning of "if you survive miraculously, you probably  aren't meant to be dead yet and you'll have a charmed life afterwards."

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger (and what does kill you leaves you dead.  Sorry couldn't resist adding that. ) means " great difficulties make you stronger". This is close to the Mencius quote "天将降大任于斯人也"。The full quotation is "天将降大任于斯人也，必先苦其心志，饿其体肤，劳其筋骨，空乏其身，行拂乱其所为，所以动心忍性，增益其所不能。", but usually we'll just quote the first line and others will know what we mean .


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## Mugi

OT


BODYholic said:


> '：' = Colon (but was misused here.


Actually, for the majority of the English speaking world, this usage was correct.


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## BODYholic

Pardon me for my laziness to type. This is an example how ':' is used in Chinese Language.



> 還沒開賽之前，吳尊信心滿滿，驕傲地表示：「羽毛球我超強的。」劉力揚則是緊張地直對辰亦儒說：「怎麼辦，我會拖累你啦。」原來從小就是田徑校隊的劉力 揚，雖是運動健將，但對球類的接觸比較少。不過沒想到劉力揚與辰亦儒的默契還不錯，一口氣就贏得4分，讓對手緊張急了。不過炎亞綸受限於膝蓋舊傷，在球場 上無法盡情奔跑，漏接了幾球，剛當完兵的辰亦儒贏球之際忍不住開他玩笑：「我看你應該去當個兵，磨練一下。」


Source of text


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## kailing

I remember huanglian mijian, xianku houtian.
Characters?  黄莲蜜饯，先苦后甜？？
谢谢你们的帮助


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## Geysere

Should be 黄连.
http://baike.baidu.com/view/21017.htm


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## patrick_socal

*What does not kill me*, *makes me stronger*. Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, 1888

I think this is the source (in German originally) of most European and American versions of this saying.
I wonder if "Twilight of the Idols" has been translated into Chinese?

A translation of the original might be an interesting source for a translation into Chinese.

I tried to search for a Chinese translation but got no results.

Patrick.

Edit to add: I did learn that Twilight of the Idols is translated as 偶像的黄昏, if anyone wants to pursue further.


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