既生瑜，何生亮

Chinese

	already; since; both... (and...)	to be born; to give birth; life to be born; to give birth; life; to grow; student; raw	excellence; lustre of gems		carry; what; how carry; what; how; why; which	to be born; to give birth; life to be born; to give birth; life; to grow; student; raw	light; bright
trad. (既生瑜，何生亮)	既	生	瑜	，	何	生	亮
simp. ^#(既生瑜，何生亮)	既	生	瑜	，	何	生	亮
Literally: “Since Yu has already been born, so why was Liang ever born?”.

Etymology

Zhou Yu was young and ambitious, but was always being upstaged by Zhuge Liang, who was more talented.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): jì shēng Yú, hé shēng Liàng

(Zhuyin): ㄐㄧˋ ㄕㄥㄩˊ , ㄏㄜˊ ㄕㄥㄌㄧㄤˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): gei³ sang¹ jyu⁴, ho⁴ sang¹ loeng⁶
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): kì seng Jû, hô seng Liāng

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: jì shēng Yú, hé shēng Liàng
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧˋ ㄕㄥㄩˊ , ㄏㄜˊ ㄕㄥㄌㄧㄤˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jì sheng Yú, hé sheng Liàng
  - Wade–Giles: chi⁴ shêng¹ Yü², ho² shêng¹ Liang⁴
  - Yale: jì shēng Yú-, hé shēng Lyàng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jih sheng Yu, her sheng Lianq
  - Palladius: цзи шэн Юй, хэ шэн Лян (czi šɛn Juj, xɛ šɛn Ljan)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi⁵¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ y³⁵ xɤ³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ li̯ɑŋ⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: gei³ sang¹ jyu⁴, ho⁴ sang¹ loeng⁶
  - Yale: gei sāng yùh, hòh sāng leuhng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gei³ sang¹ jy⁴, ho⁴ sang¹ loeng⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: géi³ seng¹ yu⁴, ho⁴ seng¹ lêng⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kei̯³³ sɐŋ⁵⁵ jyː²¹ hɔː²¹ sɐŋ⁵⁵ lœːŋ²²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kì seng Jû, hô seng Liāng
  - Tâi-lô: kì sing Jû, hô seng Liāng
  - IPA (Xiamen): /ki²¹⁻⁵³ siɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² d͡zu²⁴ ho²⁴⁻²² siɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² liaŋ²²/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /ki⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ siɪŋ³³ d͡zu²⁴ ho²⁴⁻²² siɪŋ³³ liaŋ⁴¹/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /ki²¹⁻⁵³ siɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² d͡zu¹³ ho¹³⁻²² siɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² liaŋ²²/
  - IPA (Taipei): /ki¹¹⁻⁵³ siɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ d͡zu²⁴ ho²⁴⁻¹¹ siɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ liaŋ³³/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /ki²¹⁻⁴¹ siɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ zu²³ hɤ²³⁻³³ siɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ liaŋ³³/

Idiom

既生瑜，何生亮

used to lament the fact that there is someone better than you who is outshining you at every turn; to bemoan a new contender
- 微軟掐架索尼　遊戲機既生瑜何生亮 [MSC, trad.]
  微软掐架索尼　游戏机既生瑜何生亮 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 2005: 程实 (Cheng Shi), 微软掐架索尼游戏机既生瑜何生亮
  Wēiruǎn qiājià Suǒní, yóuxìjī jì shēng Yú hé shēng Liàng [Pinyin]
  Microsoft dukes it out with Sony; Video game console makers bemoan the new contender

Derived terms