左右為難

Chinese

		left and right; left and right sides; both sides	in a difficult situation; awkward; embarrassing in a difficult situation; awkward; embarrassing; uncomfortable
trad. (左右為難/左右爲難)		左右	為難/爲難
simp. (左右为难)		左右	为难

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zuǒyòuwéinán

  (Zhuyin): ㄗㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄡˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄋㄢˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zo² jau⁶ wai⁴ naan⁴
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): chó-iū-ûi-lân

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zuǒyòuwéinán
    • Zhuyin: ㄗㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄡˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄋㄢˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: zuǒyòuwéinán
    • Wade–Giles: tso³-yu⁴-wei²-nan²
    • Yale: dzwǒ-yòu-wéi-nán
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzuooyowweinan
    • Palladius: цзоювэйнань (czojuvɛjnanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ joʊ̯⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ nän³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zo² jau⁶ wai⁴ naan⁴
    • Yale: jó yauh wàih nàahn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzo² jau⁶ wai⁴ naan⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: zo² yeo⁶ wei⁴ nan⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɔː³⁵ jɐu̯²² wɐi̯²¹ naːn²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chó-iū-ûi-lân
    • Tâi-lô: tsó-iū-uî-lân
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zoyiuxuilaan
    • IPA (Xiamen): /t͡so⁵³⁻⁴⁴ iu²²⁻²¹ ui²⁴⁻²² lan²⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡so⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ iu⁴¹⁻²² ui²⁴⁻²² lan²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡so⁵³⁻⁴⁴ iu²²⁻²¹ ui¹³⁻²² lan¹³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /t͡so⁵³⁻⁴⁴ iu³³⁻¹¹ ui²⁴⁻¹¹ lan²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sɤ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ iu³³⁻²¹ ui²³⁻³³ lan²³/

Idiom

左右為難

1. to be between a rock and a hard place