三歲定八十

Chinese

		three	year; years old; (a measure word)	to set; to fix; to determine to set; to fix; to determine; to decide; to stabilize; to order	eighty
trad. (三歲定八十)		三	歲	定	八十
simp. (三岁定八十)		三	岁	定	八十
Literally: “Three years old determines eighty”.

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “from Cantonese?”)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): sānsuìdìngbāshí

  (Zhuyin): ㄙㄢ ㄙㄨㄟˋ ㄉㄧㄥˋ ㄅㄚ ㄕˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): saam¹ seoi³ ding⁶ baat³ sap⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: sānsuìdìngbāshí
    • Zhuyin: ㄙㄢ ㄙㄨㄟˋ ㄉㄧㄥˋ ㄅㄚ ㄕˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sansuèidìngbashíh
    • Wade–Giles: san¹-sui⁴-ting⁴-pa¹-shih²
    • Yale: sān-swèi-dìng-bā-shŕ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sansueydinqbashyr
    • Palladius: саньсуйдинбаши (sanʹsujdinbaši)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sän⁵⁵ su̯eɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ tiŋ⁵¹ pä⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: saam¹ seoi³ ding⁶ baat³ sap⁶
    • Yale: sāam seui dihng baat sahp
    • Cantonese Pinyin: saam¹ soey³ ding⁶ baat⁸ sap⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: sam¹ sêu³ ding⁶ bad³ seb⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /saːm⁵⁵ sɵy̯³³ tɪŋ²² paːt̚³ sɐp̚²/

Proverb

三歲定八十

1. the character of a person is already formed at a young age