下馬威

Chinese

		to dismount from one's horse; to fall from one's horse	power; might; prestige
trad. (下馬威)		下馬	威
simp. (下马威)		下马	威
Literally: “dignity of dismounting from the horse”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiàmǎwēi

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄇㄚˇ ㄨㄟ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): haa⁶ maa⁵ wai¹
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): hā-má-ui

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiàmǎwēi
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄇㄚˇ ㄨㄟ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siàmǎwei
    • Wade–Giles: hsia⁴-ma³-wei¹
    • Yale: syà-mǎ-wēi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiahmaauei
    • Palladius: сямавэй (sjamavɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ä⁵¹ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: haa⁶ maa⁵ wai¹
    • Yale: hah máh wāi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: haa⁶ maa⁵ wai¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: ha⁶ ma⁵ wei¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /haː²² maː¹³ wɐi̯⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hā-má-ui
    • Tâi-lô: hā-má-ui
    • Phofsit Daibuun: haxmafuy
    • IPA (Xiamen): /ha²²⁻²¹ mã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ui⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ha⁴¹⁻²² mã⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ ui³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ha²²⁻²¹ mã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ui⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /ha³³⁻¹¹ mã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ui⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ha³³⁻²¹ mã⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ ui⁴⁴/

Noun

下馬威

1. (figurative, historical) display of power immediately upon assuming office (in order to warn against insubordination)
2. (figurative) initial show of strength; display of strength at the first encounter

Derived terms

• 打下馬威／打下马威