亢こう龍りょう有ゆう悔かい

Meanings

the arrogant dragon will have cause to repent; pride comes before a fall

A yojijukugo from the I Ching (易経) warning that those who rise too high without prudence will eventually fail. Used proverbially to caution against arrogance at the peak of success.

彼かれは社しゃ長ちょうになったが、亢こう龍りょう有ゆう悔かいを忘わすれず謙けん虚きょに振ふる舞まっている。
He became the company president, but he remains humble, mindful of the saying 'the arrogant dragon will have cause to repent.'
成せい功こうの絶ぜっ頂ちょうでこそ、亢こう龍りょう有ゆう悔かいの戒いましめを思おもい出だすべきだ。
It is precisely at the peak of success that one should recall the warning of 'the arrogant dragon will have cause to repent.'

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Kanji

亢high spirits
龍dragon, imperial
有possess, have, exist
悔repent, regret
竜dragon, imperial

Related words

驕おごる平へい家けは久ひさしからず
A Japanese proverb with a similar meaning: 'the proud Heike clan does not last long.' Both warn against the dangers of arrogance, but 亢龍有悔 is a direct Chinese-derived yojijukugo from the I Ching, while 驕る平家は久しからず is a native Japanese saying rooted in historical narrative.

Written forms

亢こう龍りょう有ゆう悔かい
Standard kanji form of this yojijukugo, using the traditional character 龍.
亢こう竜りょう有ゆう悔かい
Variant using the simplified character 竜; less common but still encountered.

Etymology

From the I Ching (易経), specifically the top line of the first hexagram (乾為天). The phrase literally means 'the haughty dragon will have cause to repent,' symbolizing the downfall that follows excessive pride at the height of power.