A Story

人生 = a person’s life (人 person + 生 = life)
得 = to have (彳step + 日sun + 寸 inch)
一 = one
知己 = someone with a deep connection (知 = know/understand + 己 = oneself)
死而 = to die (死 die + 而 and/also)
無憾 = without regret (無 no + 憾 regret)

知己
To understand this phrase, Dad emphasizes the importance of the word 知己. 知 translates to know/understand. 己 means self. Dad and I talk about how, to know one self is difficult enough and is an on-going life-time journey…imagine finding someone that can understand you, like you understand yourself. That is 知己: a person, a friend, a loved one that has shares a deep understanding. Dad describes this connection as one where much doesn’t need to be said, there is understanding and there is trust.

There are different ways to interpret this. A more literal translation would be the above: In one’s life, to be able to find someone that understands you is to be able to die without regrets. You could also say that to find someone who understands you, is to live the rest of your life happily, joyfully, with ease, without complaints and is to be able to have everything you need until dying days. I think what my dad is trying to interpret to me here is that to find that truly deep connection with someone in one’s life, makes it so that when the end of life comes, there are no hard feelings because you’ve lived a full life. I think the English translation feels a bit clumsy for what the words in Cantonese evokes when describing the meaningfulness of being able to find someone that understands you.

This is a very similar sentiment to another saying in this dictionary: 人一世物一世.得一知己最珍貴.

This can be heard (and seen with captions) quoted in an episode of '七十二家房客' - The House of 72 Tenants. The episode is called 你開心我開心 - 'You're happy, I'm happy'.

Updated 8/1/24

Date Added: 3/14/2021