朝三暮四

Chinese

		morning	three	evening; dusk; sunset evening; dusk; sunset; (of time) late; closing	four
trad. (朝三暮四)		朝	三	暮	四
simp. #(朝三暮四)		朝	三	暮	四
alternative forms		朝四暮三 暮四朝三
Literally: “three in the morning, and four in the evening”.

Etymology

From a parable seen in both Zhuangzi (see quote below) and Liezi.

狙公賦芧，曰：「朝三而暮四。」衆狙皆怒。曰：「然則朝四而暮三。」衆狙皆悅。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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狙公赋芧，曰：「朝三而暮四。」众狙皆怒。曰：「然则朝四而暮三。」众狙皆悦。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

Jū gōng fù xù, yuē: “Zhāo sān ér mù sì.” Zhòng jū jiē nù. Yuē: “Rán zé zhāo sì ér mù sān.” Zhòng jū jiē yuè. [Pinyin]

There was a man who kept monkeys as pets. While feeding chestnuts to the monkeys, he said, "[I will feed you] three [chestnuts] in the morning, and four in the evening." The monkeys all went angry. The man later said, "How about four in the morning, and three in the evening?" The monkeys all became happy.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhāosānmùsì

  (Zhuyin): ㄓㄠ ㄙㄢ ㄇㄨˋ ㄙˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ziu¹ saam¹ mou⁶ sei³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhāosānmùsì
    • Zhuyin: ㄓㄠ ㄙㄢ ㄇㄨˋ ㄙˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhaosanmùsìh
    • Wade–Giles: chao¹-san¹-mu⁴-ssŭ⁴
    • Yale: jāu-sān-mù-sz̀
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jausanmuhsyh
    • Palladius: чжаосаньмусы (čžaosanʹmusy)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵⁵ sän⁵⁵ mu⁵¹⁻⁵³ sz̩⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ziu¹ saam¹ mou⁶ sei³
    • Yale: jīu sāam mouh sei
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dziu¹ saam¹ mou⁶ sei³
    • Guangdong Romanization: jiu¹ sam¹ mou⁶ séi³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siːu̯⁵⁵ saːm⁵⁵ mou̯²² sei̯³³/

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• Middle Chinese: trjew sam muH sijH

Rime
Character	朝	三	暮	四
Reading #	1/2	1/2	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	知 (9)	心 (16)	明 (4)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	宵 (92)	談 (143)	模 (23)	脂 (15)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Departing (H)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	I	I	III
Fanqie	陟遙切	蘇甘切	莫故切	息利切
Baxter	trjew	sam	muH	sijH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʈˠiᴇu/	/sɑm/	/muoH/	/siɪH/
Pan Wuyun	/ʈᵚiɛu/	/sɑm/	/muoH/	/siH/
Shao Rongfen	/ȶiæu/	/sɑm/	/moH/	/sjɪH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʈiaw/	/sam/	/mɔH/	/siH/
Li Rong	/ȶjɛu/	/sɑm/	/moH/	/siH/
Wang Li	/ȶĭɛu/	/sɑm/	/muH/	/siH/
Bernard Karlgren	/ȶi̯ɛu/	/sɑm/	/muoH/	/siH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zhāo	sān	mù	sì
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ziu1	saam1	mou6	si3

Idiom

朝三暮四

1. (original meaning, obsolete) to deceive using tricks; to take in someone
2. (now more commonly, derogatory) to change one's mind frequently; to blow hot and cold; to be fickle or capricious

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (朝三暮四):

• → Japanese: 朝(ちょう)三(さん)暮(ぼ)四(し) (chōsanboshi)
• → Korean: 조삼모사(朝三暮四) (josammosa)

See also

• 朝秦暮楚 (zhāoqínmùchǔ)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
朝	三	暮	四
ちょう Grade: 2	さん Grade: 1	ぼ Grade: 6	し Grade: 1
on’yomi

Etymology

Derived from, and now a false friend of Chinese 朝三暮四 (zhāosānmùsì).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ちょーさんぼ​し [chòósáńbóꜜshì] (Nakadaka – [5])
• IPA^(key): [t͡ɕo̞ːsã̠mbo̞ɕi]

Noun

朝(ちょう)三(さん)暮(ぼ)四(し) • (chōsanboshi) ^{←てうさんぼし (teusanbosi)?}

1. a focus on cosmetic differences between two objects without realizing that they are substantively identical, distinction without a difference
2. the act of deceiving a person