八字還沒一撇

See also: 八字还没一撇

Chinese

	the character 八	yet, still	has not	one	left-falling stroke
trad. (八字還沒一撇)	八字	還	沒	一	撇
simp. (八字还没一撇)	八字	还	没	一	撇
Literally: “there is not even the first stroke of the character 八 (considered one of the simplest characters)”.

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Guoyu Cidian has four theories”)

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): bāzì hái méi yī piě

(Zhuyin): ㄅㄚㄗˋ ㄏㄞˊ ㄇㄟˊ ㄧㄆㄧㄝˇ
Cantonese (Jyutping): baat³ zi⁶ waan⁴ mut⁶ jat¹ pit³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: bāzì hái méi yī piě [Phonetic: bāzì hái méi yì piě]
  - Zhuyin: ㄅㄚㄗˋ ㄏㄞˊ ㄇㄟˊ ㄧㄆㄧㄝˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: bazìh hái méi yi piě
  - Wade–Giles: pa¹-tzŭ⁴ hai² mei² i¹ pʻieh³
  - Yale: bā-dz̀ hái méi yī pyě
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: batzyh hair mei i piee
  - Palladius: бацзы хай мэй и пе (baczy xaj mɛj i pe)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pä⁵⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹ xaɪ̯³⁵ meɪ̯³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ pʰi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
- (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed) (八字還沒一撇兒／八字还没一撇儿)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: bāzìháiméiyīpiěr [Phonetic: bāzìháiméiyìpiěr]
  - Zhuyin: ㄅㄚㄗˋ ㄏㄞˊ ㄇㄟˊ ㄧㄆㄧㄝˇㄦ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: bazìhháiméiyipiěr
  - Wade–Giles: pa¹-tzŭ⁴-hai²-mei²-i¹-pʻieh³-ʼrh
  - Yale: bā-dz̀-hái-méi-yī-pyěr
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: batzyhhairmeiipieel
  - Palladius: бацзыхаймэйипер (baczyxajmɛjiper)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pä⁵⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹ xaɪ̯³⁵ meɪ̯³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ pʰi̯ɛɻ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: baat³ zi⁶ waan⁴ mut⁶ jat¹ pit³
  - Yale: baat jih wàahn muht yāt pit
  - Cantonese Pinyin: baat⁸ dzi⁶ waan⁴ mut⁹ jat⁷ pit⁸
  - Guangdong Romanization: bad³ ji⁶ wan⁴ mud⁶ yed¹ pid³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /paːt̚³ t͡siː²² waːn²¹ muːt̚² jɐt̚⁵ pʰiːt̚³/

Idiom

八字還沒一撇

nothing tangible in sight; things have not even begun to take shape; there's not the slightest sign of success yet

Synonyms