牝雞司晨

Chinese

		hen	company; control	morning; dawn; daybreak
trad. (牝雞司晨/牝鷄司晨)		牝雞/牝鷄	司	晨
simp. (牝鸡司晨)		牝鸡	司	晨
Literally: “the hen crows at daybreak”.

Etymology

Based on an ancient saying quoted in the Book of Documents:

• 古人有言曰：『牝雞無晨。牝雞之晨，惟家之索。』今商王受，惟婦言是用。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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  古人有言曰：『牝鸡无晨。牝鸡之晨，惟家之索。』今商王受，惟妇言是用。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

  From: The Book of Documents, circa 7^th – 4^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

  Gǔrén yǒu yán yuē: ‘Pìnjī wú chén. Pìnjī zhī chén, wéi jiā zhī suǒ.’ Jīn Shāngwáng Shòu, wéi fùyán shì yòng. [Pinyin]

  The ancients have said, "The hen does not announce the morning. The crowing of a hen in the morning (indicates) the subversion of the family." Now Shou, the king of Shang, follows only the words of his wife.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): pìnjīsīchén

  (Zhuyin): ㄆㄧㄣˋ ㄐㄧ ㄙ ㄔㄣˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): pan⁵ gai¹ si¹ san⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: pìnjīsīchén
    • Zhuyin: ㄆㄧㄣˋ ㄐㄧ ㄙ ㄔㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: pìnjisihchén
    • Wade–Giles: pʻin⁴-chi¹-ssŭ¹-chʻên²
    • Yale: pìn-jī-sz̄-chén
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: pinnjisychern
    • Palladius: пиньцзисычэнь (pinʹczisyčɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰin⁵¹ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ sz̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰən³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: pan⁵ gai¹ si¹ san⁴
    • Yale: páhn gāi sī sàhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: pan⁵ gai¹ si¹ san⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: pen⁵ gei¹ xi¹ sen⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰɐn¹³ kɐi̯⁵⁵ siː⁵⁵ sɐn²¹/

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• Middle Chinese: bjijX|bjinX kej si dzyin|zyin

Rime
Character	牝	牝	雞	司	晨	晨
Reading #	1/2	2/2	1/1	1/1	1/2	2/2
Initial (聲)	並 (3)	並 (3)	見 (28)	心 (16)	常 (25)	船 (27)
Final (韻)	脂 (15)	眞 (43)	齊 (39)	之 (19)	眞 (43)	眞 (43)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Rising (X)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III	IV	III	III	III
Fanqie	扶履切	毗忍切	古奚切	息兹切	植鄰切	食鄰切
Baxter	bjijX	bjinX	kej	si	dzyin	zyin
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/biɪX/	/biɪnX/	/kei/	/sɨ/	/d͡ʑiɪn/	/ʑiɪn/
Pan Wuyun	/biX/	/binX/	/kei/	/sɨ/	/d͡ʑin/	/ʑin/
Shao Rongfen	/bjɪX/	/bjenX/	/kɛi/	/sie/	/d͡ʑjen/	/ʑjen/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/biX/	/binX/	/kɛj/	/sɨ/	/d͡ʑin/	/ʑin/
Li Rong	/biX/	/biĕnX/	/kei/	/siə/	/ʑiĕn/	/d͡ʑiĕn/
Wang Li	/biX/	/bĭĕnX/	/kiei/	/sĭə/	/ʑĭĕn/	/d͡ʑĭĕn/
Bernard Karlgren	/bʱiX/	/bʱi̯ĕnX/	/kiei/	/si/	/ʑi̯ĕn/	/d͡ʑʰi̯ĕn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	bì	bìn	jī	sī	chén	shén
Expected Cantonese Reflex	bei6	ban6	gai1	si1	san4	san4

Idiom

牝雞司晨

1. (figurative, derogatory) a woman usurps authority, women meddle in politics, the female wears the trousers.

   Synonym: 婦奪夫權／妇夺夫权