外強中乾

Chinese

		outside; external	strong; powerful	inside; internal	empty; hollow
trad. (外強中乾)		外	強	中	乾
simp. (外强中干)		外	强	中	干

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wàiqiángzhōnggān

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄞˋ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄍㄢ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ngoi⁶ koeng⁴ zung¹ gon¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wàiqiángzhōnggān
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄞˋ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄍㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wàiciángjhonggan
    • Wade–Giles: wai⁴-chʻiang²-chung¹-kan¹
    • Yale: wài-chyáng-jūng-gān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: waychyangjonggan
    • Palladius: вайцянчжунгань (vajcjančžunganʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /waɪ̯⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ kän⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ngoi⁶ koeng⁴ zung¹ gon¹
    • Yale: ngoih kèuhng jūng gōn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ngoi⁶ koeng⁴ dzung¹ gon¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: ngoi⁶ kêng⁴ zung¹ gon¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋɔːi̯²² kʰœːŋ²¹ t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ kɔːn⁵⁵/

Idiom

外強中乾

1. to appear strong on the outside but in reality be weak on the inside