民以食為天

Chinese

		the people; nationality; citizen	to use; according to; so as to to use; according to; so as to; in order to; by; with; because; Israel (abbrev.)	eat; food; to feed eat; food; to feed; animal feed	because of; for; to because of; for; to; act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become	day; sky; heaven
trad. (民以食為天/民以食爲天)		民	以	食	為/爲	天
simp. (民以食为天)		民	以	食	为	天

Etymology

From the Book of Han.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): mín yǐ shí wéi tiān

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄧˇ ㄕˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄧㄢ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): man⁴ ji⁵ sik⁶ wai⁴ tin¹
• Southern Min (Teochew, Peng'im): ming⁵ in² ziah⁸ ui⁵ tin¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: mín yǐ shí wéi tiān
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄧˇ ㄕˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄧㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: mín yǐ shíh wéi tian
    • Wade–Giles: min² i³ shih² wei² tʻien¹
    • Yale: mín yǐ shŕ wéi tyān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: min yii shyr wei tian
    • Palladius: минь и ши вэй тянь (minʹ i ši vɛj tjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /min³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: man⁴ ji⁵ sik⁶ wai⁴ tin¹
    • Yale: màhn yíh sihk wàih tīn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: man⁴ ji⁵ sik⁹ wai⁴ tin¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: men⁴ yi⁵ xig⁶ wei⁴ tin¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɐn²¹ jiː¹³ sɪk̚² wɐi̯²¹ tʰiːn⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: ming⁵ in² ziah⁸ ui⁵ tin¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: mîng íⁿ tsia̍h ûi thiⁿ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /miŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ ĩ⁵²⁻³⁵ t͡siaʔ⁴⁻² ui⁵⁵⁻¹¹ tʰĩ³³/

Proverb

民以食為天

1. People see food as their primary need.