Chinese idiom · 成语

乐极生悲

lè jí shēng bēi

Meaning

Extreme joy begets sorrow; happiness can lead to misfortune.

Character by character

乐joy

极extreme

生produce

悲sorrow

Origin and story

From Huainanzi (Huái nán zǐ). Overindulgence in joy often precedes unexpected grief.