老驥伏櫪

Chinese

		old; aged; venerable old; aged; venerable; outdated; experienced; (affectionate prefix)	thoroughbred horse; refined and virtuous	conceal (ambush); prostrate; submit	stable
trad. (老驥伏櫪)		老	驥	伏	櫪
simp. (老骥伏枥)		老	骥	伏	枥
Literally: “an old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop 1000 miles”.

Etymology

From a poem by Cao Cao:

老驥伏櫪，志在千里；烈士暮年，壯心不已。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

老骥伏枥，志在千里；烈士暮年，壮心不已。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: 三國·魏·曹操《步出夏門行》

Lǎojì fúlì, zhì zài qiānlǐ; lièshì mùnián, zhuàngxīn bùyǐ. [Pinyin]

The old steed over the manger still has the mind to do a thousand-li journey;
The heroic old man still cherishes lofty ambitions.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): lǎojìfúlì

(Zhuyin): ㄌㄠˇ ㄐㄧˋ ㄈㄨˊ ㄌㄧˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): lou⁵ kei³ fuk⁶ lik¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: lǎojìfúlì
  - Zhuyin: ㄌㄠˇ ㄐㄧˋ ㄈㄨˊ ㄌㄧˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: lǎojìfúlì
  - Wade–Giles: lao³-chi⁴-fu²-li⁴
  - Yale: lǎu-jì-fú-lì
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: laojihfwulih
  - Palladius: лаоцзифули (laoczifuli)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi⁵¹ fu³⁵ li⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: lou⁵ kei³ fuk⁶ lik¹
  - Yale: lóuh kei fuhk līk
  - Cantonese Pinyin: lou⁵ kei³ fuk⁹ lik⁷
  - Guangdong Romanization: lou⁵ kéi³ fug⁶ lig¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lou̯¹³ kʰei̯³³ fʊk̚² lɪk̚⁵/

Idiom

老驥伏櫪

(figurative) an aged person with great aspirations

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