Chinese characters and pinyin
Simplified: 乐极生悲
Traditional: 樂極生悲
Pinyin: lè jí shēng bēi
Literal translation
At the extreme of joy, sorrow is born.
Natural English meaning
Excess or overconfidence at a high point can lead to reversal.
Closest English equivalent
Pride comes before a fall.
The Chinese idiom is about extremes and reversal, not only pride.
When to use it
Use it as a warning against losing judgment during celebration or success.
When not to use it
Do not use it to discourage healthy joy.
Example sentence
庆祝可以，但别放松安全，免得乐极生悲。
Celebrate, but do not let excitement turn into carelessness and regret.
Origin and cultural context
The idea of joy reaching an extreme and reversing appears in early Chinese historical writing.
Classification: idiom. This label distinguishes a complete proverb or popular saying from a compact idiom or a quotation preserved from a classical text.
