夜郎自大
Chinese
editYelang | self-important; arrogant; conceited | ||
---|---|---|---|
simp. and trad. (夜郎自大) |
夜郎 | 自大 |
Etymology
editBased on a passage in Records of the Grand Historian:
- 滇王與漢使者言曰:「漢與我孰大?」及夜郎侯亦然。以道不通,故各自以為一州主,不知漢廣大。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE
- Diānwáng yǔ Hàn shǐzhě yán yuē: “Hàn yǔ wǒ shú dà?” Jí Yèlánghóu yì rán. Yǐ dào bù tōng, gù gè zì yǐwéi yī zhōu zhǔ, bù zhī Hàn guǎngdà. [Pinyin]
- The King of Dian, while talking to the Han envoys, asked: "The Han (state) and mine, which is larger?" The Yelang lord did so too. As the roads (between their principalities and China) were not open, so each, deeming himself the ruler of a principality, did not know how large and vast the Han (empire) was.
滇王与汉使者言曰:「汉与我孰大?」及夜郎侯亦然。以道不通,故各自以为一州主,不知汉广大。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
edit- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin:
- Zhuyin: ㄧㄝˋ ㄌㄤˊ ㄗˋ ㄉㄚˋ
- Tongyong Pinyin: yèlángzìhdà
- Wade–Giles: yeh4-lang2-tzŭ4-ta4
- Yale: yè-láng-dz̀-dà
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yehlangtzyhdah
- Palladius: еланцзыда (jelanczyda)
- Sinological IPA (key): /jɛ⁵¹ lɑŋ³⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ tä⁵¹/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: je6 long4 zi6 daai6
- Yale: yeh lòhng jih daaih
- Cantonese Pinyin: je6 long4 dzi6 daai6
- Guangdong Romanization: yé6 long4 ji6 dai6
- Sinological IPA (key): /jɛː²² lɔːŋ²¹ t͡siː²² taːi̯²²/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
Idiom
edit夜郎自大