收之桑榆 — “To compensate for an initial loss with a later gain”

收之桑榆 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to compensate for an initial loss with a later gain”. To make up for a setback; it's not too late to remedy a situation. Literally, “gain from the mulberry and elm”.

Frequency

收之桑榆 Pronunciation and Pinyin

收之桑榆 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
收	shōu	6	receive, collect, or put away
之	zhī	4	possessive or connective particle
桑	sāng	10	mulberry tree
榆	yú	13	elm tree

Example Sentence with 收之桑榆

虽然这次项目初期遇到了一些困难，但我们及时调整了策略，最终收之桑榆，取得了不错的成果。

Although the project encountered some initial difficulties, we adjusted our strategy in time and ultimately managed to turn the situation around, achieving good results.

Origin and Story of 收之桑榆

In the early Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Guangwu dispatched his generals Feng Yi and Deng Yu to quell the Red Eyebrows peasant rebellion.

Deng Yu's army suffered heavy casualties after engaging the rebels.

Feng Yi, on the other hand, commanded his troops to strengthen their defenses, gather scattered soldiers, and simultaneously sent some of his men, disguised as Red Eyebrows rebels, to infiltrate the enemy lines.

This strategy led to a decisive victory.

The imperial court subsequently issued a document praising their triumph, declaring it a perfect example of 'lost in the east corner, gained from the mulberry and elm' (失之东隅，收之桑榆).