何不食肉糜

Chinese

		why not	to eat	minced meat; ground meat
trad. (何不食肉糜)		何不	食	肉糜
simp. #(何不食肉糜)		何不	食	肉糜
Literally: “Why don't they eat mince?”.

Etymology

A quote by Emperor Hui (259–307) of Western Jin, recorded in 《晉書》.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): hébù shí ròumí

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄜˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄕˊ ㄖㄡˋ ㄇㄧˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ho⁴ bat¹ sik⁶ juk⁶ mei⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: hébù shí ròumí
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄜˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄕˊ ㄖㄡˋ ㄇㄧˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: hébù shíh ròumí
    • Wade–Giles: ho²-pu⁴ shih² jou⁴-mi²
    • Yale: hé-bù shŕ ròu-mí
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: herbu shyr rowmi
    • Palladius: хэбу ши жоуми (xɛbu ši žoumi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xɤ³⁵ pu⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʐoʊ̯⁵¹ mi³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ho⁴ bat¹ sik⁶ juk⁶ mei⁴
    • Yale: hòh bāt sihk yuhk mèih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ho⁴ bat⁷ sik⁹ juk⁹ mei⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: ho⁴ bed¹ xig⁶ yug⁶ méi⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɔː²¹ pɐt̚⁵ sɪk̚² jʊk̚² mei̯²¹/

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• Middle Chinese: ha pjuw|pjuwX|pjut zyik nyuwk mje

Rime
Character	何	不	不	不	食	肉	糜
Reading #	1/2	1/3	2/3	3/3	2/2	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	匣 (33)	幫 (1)	幫 (1)	幫 (1)	船 (27)	日 (38)	明 (4)
Final (韻)	歌 (94)	尤 (136)	尤 (136)	文 (60)	蒸 (134)	東 (4)	支 (13)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Rising (X)	Checked (Ø)	Checked (Ø)	Checked (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open	Open	Closed	Open	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	III	III	III	III	III	III
Fanqie	胡歌切	甫鳩切	方久切	分勿切	乗力切	如六切	靡爲切
Baxter	ha	pjuw	pjuwX	pjut	zyik	nyuwk	mje
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɦɑ/	/pɨu/	/pɨuX/	/pɨut̚/	/ʑɨk̚/	/ȵɨuk̚/	/mˠiᴇ/
Pan Wuyun	/ɦɑ/	/piu/	/piuX/	/piut̚/	/ʑɨk̚/	/ȵiuk̚/	/mᵚiɛ/
Shao Rongfen	/ɣɑ/	/piəu/	/piəuX/	/piuət̚/	/ʑiek̚/	/ȵʑiuk̚/	/miɛ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɦa/	/puw/	/puwX/	/put̚/	/ʑik̚/	/ȵuwk̚/	/mjiə̆/
Li Rong	/ɣɑ/	/piu/	/piuX/	/piuət̚/	/d͡ʑiək̚/	/ȵiuk̚/	/mje/
Wang Li	/ɣɑ/	/pĭəu/	/pĭəuX/	/pĭuət̚/	/d͡ʑĭək̚/	/ȵʑĭuk̚/	/mǐe/
Bernard Karlgren	/ɣɑ/	/pi̯ə̯u/	/pi̯ə̯uX/	/pi̯uət̚/	/d͡ʑʰi̯ək̚/	/ȵʑi̯uk̚/	/mie̯/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	hé	fōu	fǒu	fu	shí	rù	mí
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ho4	fau1	fau2	fat1	sik6	juk6	mei4

Phrase

何不食肉糜

1. (sarcastic) Describing an impractical, ridiculous and often arrogant advise from someone uninvolved: If they have no bread to eat, let them eat cake.