三板斧

Chinese

		three	board; plank; plate board; plank; plate; slab	hatchet
trad. (三板斧)		三	板	斧
simp. #(三板斧)		三	板	斧
Literally: “three axe strokes”.

Etymology

In reference to Cheng Yaojin, who is often depicted in folklore as a somewhat inept and bumbling warrior.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): sānbǎnfǔ

  (Zhuyin): ㄙㄢ ㄅㄢˇ ㄈㄨˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): saam¹ baan² fu²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: sānbǎnfǔ [Phonetic: sānbánfǔ]
    • Zhuyin: ㄙㄢ ㄅㄢˇ ㄈㄨˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sanbǎnfǔ
    • Wade–Giles: san¹-pan³-fu³
    • Yale: sān-bǎn-fǔ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sanbaanfuu
    • Palladius: саньбаньфу (sanʹbanʹfu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sän⁵⁵ pän²¹⁴⁻³⁵ fu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: saam¹ baan² fu²
    • Yale: sāam báan fú
    • Cantonese Pinyin: saam¹ baan² fu²
    • Guangdong Romanization: sam¹ ban² fu²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /saːm⁵⁵ paːn³⁵ fuː³⁵/

Idiom

三板斧

1. someone with a limited repertoire of skills