侯門深似海

See also: 侯门深似海

Chinese

			deep; profound	to seem; to appear; similar to seem; to appear; similar; like; to resemble	ocean; sea
trad. (侯門深似海)		侯門	深	似	海
simp. (侯门深似海)		侯门	深	似	海
Literally: “The nobleman's gates are deep as the sea.”

Etymology

From 贈去婢:

侯門一入深如海，從此蕭郎是路人。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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侯门一入深如海，从此萧郎是路人。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

Hóumén yī rù shēn rú hǎi, cóngcǐ xiāoláng shì lùrén. [Pinyin]

The nobleman's gates, once entered, are deep as the sea; from now on, your lover is a passer-by.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): hóumén shēn sì hǎi

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄡˊ ㄇㄣˊ ㄕㄣ ㄙˋ ㄏㄞˇ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: hóumén shēn sì hǎi
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄡˊ ㄇㄣˊ ㄕㄣ ㄙˋ ㄏㄞˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: hóumén shen sìh hǎi
    • Wade–Giles: hou²-mên² shên¹ ssŭ⁴ hai³
    • Yale: hóu-mén shēn sz̀ hǎi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: hourmen shen syh hae
    • Palladius: хоумэнь шэнь сы хай (xoumɛnʹ šɛnʹ sy xaj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xoʊ̯³⁵ mən³⁵ ʂən⁵⁵ sz̩⁵¹ xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Proverb

侯門深似海

1. The mansions of nobility are inaccessible to the common people.