不速之客

Chinese

		uninvited; unexpected; unwanted	's; him/her/it; this	customer; visitor; guest
trad. (不速之客)		不速	之	客
simp. #(不速之客)		不速	之	客

Etymology

From I Ching, Hexagram 5 (《易经·需卦》):

上六：入于穴，有不速之客三人來，敬之終吉。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]

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上六：入于穴，有不速之客三人来，敬之终吉。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: I Ching, 11^th – 8^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Shàng liù: rù yú xué, yǒu bùsù zhī kè sān rén lái, jìng zhī zhōng jí. [Pinyin]

The topmost SIX, divided, shows its subject entered into the cavern. (But) there are three guests coming, without being urged, (to his help). If he receive them respectfully, there will be good fortune in the end.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bùsùzhīkè

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄨˋ ㄙㄨˋ ㄓ ㄎㄜˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): bat¹ cuk¹ zi¹ haak³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bùsùzhīkè [Phonetic: búsùzhīkè]
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄨˋ ㄙㄨˋ ㄓ ㄎㄜˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bùsùjhihkè
    • Wade–Giles: pu⁴-su⁴-chih¹-kʻo⁴
    • Yale: bù-sù-jr̄-kè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: busuhjykeh
    • Palladius: бусучжикэ (busučžikɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ su⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ kʰɤ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: bat¹ cuk¹ zi¹ haak³
    • Yale: bāt chūk jī haak
    • Cantonese Pinyin: bat⁷ tsuk⁷ dzi¹ haak⁸
    • Guangdong Romanization: bed¹ cug¹ ji¹ hag³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰʊk̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ haːk̚³/

Idiom

不速之客

1. uninvited or unexpected guest

   她是晚会上的不速之客。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

   Tā shì wǎnhuì shàng de bùsùzhīkè. [Pinyin]

   She was an uninvited guest at the party.