树挪死，人挪活 in English shu4 nuo2 si3 , ren2 nuo2 huo2 Meaning

Meanings

  • literally (word for word) if moved to a new location, a tree will die, but a person will live (idiomatic expression)
  • metaphorically human beings, unlike trees, thrive on change

Simplified Characters

树 挪 死 ， 人 挪 活

Traditional Characters

樹 挪 死 ， 人 挪 活

Pinyin

shu4 nuo2 si3 , ren2 nuo2 huo2

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

树shu4tree 挪nuo2to shift 死si3to die ， 人ren2man 挪nuo2to shift 活huo2to live