指桑罵槐

Chinese

		finger; to point; to direct finger; to point; to direct; to indicate	mulberry tree	scold; abuse	Styphnolobium japonicum (syn. Sophora japonica)
trad. (指桑罵槐)		指	桑	罵	槐
simp. (指桑骂槐)		指	桑	骂	槐
Literally: “to point at the mulberry tree and curse the pagoda tree”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhǐsāngmàhuái

  (Zhuyin): ㄓˇ ㄙㄤ ㄇㄚˋ ㄏㄨㄞˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zi² song¹ maa⁶ waai⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhǐsāngmàhuái
    • Zhuyin: ㄓˇ ㄙㄤ ㄇㄚˋ ㄏㄨㄞˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhǐhsangmàhuái
    • Wade–Giles: chih³-sang¹-ma⁴-huai²
    • Yale: jř-sāng-mà-hwái
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyysangmahhwai
    • Palladius: чжисанмахуай (čžisanmaxuaj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ sɑŋ⁵⁵ mä⁵¹ xu̯aɪ̯³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zi² song¹ maa⁶ waai⁴
    • Yale: jí sōng mah wàaih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzi² song¹ maa⁶ waai⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: ji² song¹ ma⁶ wai⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siː³⁵ sɔːŋ⁵⁵ maː²² waːi̯²¹/

Idiom

指桑罵槐

1. to scold someone indirectly; to make oblique accusations