大丈夫能屈能伸

大丈夫能屈能伸:

Literally means:

a great man knows when to yield and when not.

Actually means:

大丈夫 refers to a man of great ambitions, accomplishments and moral integrity. 曲 means bending or curving, and 伸 means stretching.

The phrase means that a real man is able to endure the unluckiness whereas he can give full play to his talents and achieve great success when things are favorable to him.

It may also mean that one should endure or concede when he encounters setbacks or failure and should strive again for success when the condition is ready or the time is favorable to him.

大丈夫，指有志向、有作为、有骨气的男子。曲，弯曲。伸，伸展。

大丈夫能屈能伸，指大丈夫在失意时能忍耐，在得志时能施展自己的才华，大干一番。

也指在受到挫折或遇到失败时要忍耐或让步，等到条件成熟或时机有利，再大干一番。