牡丹花下死，做鬼也風流

Chinese

		tree peony; marlberry	flower; blossom; to spend flower; blossom; to spend; fancy pattern	under; next; lower under; next; lower; below; underneath; down(wards); to go down; latter	to die; impassable; uncrossable to die; impassable; uncrossable; inflexible; rigid		to die; to become a ghost; to play tricks to die; to become a ghost; to play tricks; to get into mischief	also; too	distinguished and admirable; elegant and tasteful; talented and unrestrained distinguished and admirable; elegant and tasteful; talented and unrestrained; outstanding
trad. (牡丹花下死，做鬼也風流)		牡丹	花	下	死	，	做鬼	也	風流
simp. (牡丹花下死，做鬼也风流)		牡丹	花	下	死	，	做鬼	也	风流
Literally: “If I should die beneath a peony flower (metaphor for beautiful woman), I will still be charming as a ghost.”

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): mǔdānhuā xià sǐ, zuòguǐ yě fēngliú

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄨˇ ㄉㄢ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄙˇ , ㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄍㄨㄟˇ ㄧㄝˇ ㄈㄥ ㄌㄧㄡˊ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: mǔdānhuā xià sǐ, zuòguǐ yě fēngliú [Phonetic: mǔdānhuāxiàsǐ,zuòguíyěfēngliú]
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄨˇ ㄉㄢ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄙˇ , ㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄍㄨㄟˇ ㄧㄝˇ ㄈㄥ ㄌㄧㄡˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: mǔdanhua sià sǐh, zuòguěi yě fonglióu
    • Wade–Giles: mu³-tan¹-hua¹ hsia⁴ ssŭ³, tso⁴-kuei³ yeh³ fêng¹-liu²
    • Yale: mǔ-dān-hwā syà sž-, dzwò-gwěi yě fēng-lyóu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: muudanhua shiah syy, tzuohgoei yee fengliou
    • Palladius: муданьхуа ся сы, цзогуй е фэнлю (mudanʹxua sja sy, czoguj je fɛnlju)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mu²¹⁴⁻²¹ tän⁵⁵ xu̯ä⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡su̯ɔ⁵¹ ku̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ jɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ fɤŋ⁵⁵ li̯oʊ̯³⁵/

Proverb

牡丹花下死，做鬼也風流

1. If I die under a skirt, I can still flirt as a ghost. / If my body should perish, girls I'll still cherish.