兩面不討好

Chinese

		two sides; both sides; both directions two sides; both sides; both directions; both ways	not; no	to ingratiate oneself with; to please; to court to ingratiate oneself with; to please; to court; to curry favour with
trad. (兩面不討好)		兩面	不	討好
simp. (两面不讨好)		两面	不	讨好
Literally: “both parties are displeased”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): liǎngmiàn bù tǎohǎo

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄊㄠˇ ㄏㄠˇ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: liǎngmiàn bù tǎohǎo [Phonetic: liǎngmiànbùtáohǎo]
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄊㄠˇ ㄏㄠˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: liǎngmiàn bù tǎohǎo
    • Wade–Giles: liang³-mien⁴ pu⁴ tʻao³-hao³
    • Yale: lyǎng-myàn bù tǎu-hǎu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: leangmiann bu taohao
    • Palladius: лянмянь бу таохао (ljanmjanʹ bu taoxao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ mi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ tʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Idiom

兩面不討好

1. damn if you do, damn if you don't

Synonyms

• 左右都不是
• 兩頭都不討好／两头都不讨好