溫言在口，大棒在手

Chinese

		(luke)warm; to review	to speak; to say; talk to speak; to say; talk; word	(located) at; in; exist (located) at; in; exist; (before verbs) immediately involved in; right in the middle of doing	mouth; (a measure word, for people, livestock or utensils)		big; great; huge big; great; huge; large; major; wide; deep; oldest; eldest; doctor	a stick; club or cudgel; smart a stick; club or cudgel; smart; capable; strong	(located) at; in; exist (located) at; in; exist; (before verbs) immediately involved in; right in the middle of doing	hand; convenient; ‑er
trad. (溫言在口，大棒在手)		溫	言	在	口	，	大	棒	在	手
simp. (温言在口，大棒在手)		温	言	在	口	，	大	棒	在	手
Literally: “gentle words in mouth, big stick on hand”.

Etymology

Calque of English speak softly and carry a big stick.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wēnyán zài kǒu, dàbàng zài shǒu

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄣ ㄧㄢˊ ㄗㄞˋ ㄎㄡˇ , ㄉㄚˋ ㄅㄤˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄕㄡˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): wan¹ jin⁴ zoi⁶ hau², daai⁶ paang⁵ zoi⁶ sau²

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wēnyán zài kǒu, dàbàng zài shǒu
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄣ ㄧㄢˊ ㄗㄞˋ ㄎㄡˇ , ㄉㄚˋ ㄅㄤˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄕㄡˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wunyán zài kǒu, dàbàng zài shǒu
    • Wade–Giles: wên¹-yen² tsai⁴ kʻou³, ta⁴-pang⁴ tsai⁴ shou³
    • Yale: wēn-yán dzài kǒu-, dà-bàng dzài shǒu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: uenyan tzay koou, dahbanq tzay shoou
    • Palladius: вэньянь цзай коу, дабан цзай шоу (vɛnʹjanʹ czaj kou, daban czaj šou)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wən⁵⁵ jɛn³⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ kʰoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ pɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: wan¹ jin⁴ zoi⁶ hau², daai⁶ paang⁵ zoi⁶ sau²
    • Yale: wān yìhn joih háu, daaih páahng joih sáu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wan¹ jin⁴ dzoi⁶ hau², daai⁶ paang⁵ dzoi⁶ sau²
    • Guangdong Romanization: wen¹ yin⁴ zoi⁶ heo², dai⁶ pang⁵ zoi⁶ seo²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɐn⁵⁵ jiːn²¹ t͡sɔːi̯²² hɐu̯³⁵ taːi̯²² pʰaːŋ¹³ t͡sɔːi̯²² sɐu̯³⁵/

Proverb

溫言在口，大棒在手

1. speak softly and carry a big stick
   • 2024 January 14, Lianhe Zaobao, 美学者提醒：台湾选后应保持克制同时加强备战 (American Scholar Reminds: Post-Election Taiwan Should Exercise Restraint while Enhance War-Preperation)‎^[1]:

     戴雅門也引述美國已故總統老羅斯福名言“溫言在口，大棒在手”，指拜登政府正是依循此路線，不採取挑釁舉措…… [MSC, trad.]
     戴雅门也引述美国已故总统老罗斯福名言“温言在口，大棒在手”，指拜登政府正是依循此路线，不采取挑衅举措…… [MSC, simp.]

     Dàiyǎmén yě yǐnshù měiguó yǐgù zǒngtǒng lǎo luósīfú míngyán “wēnyánzàikǒu, dàbàngzàishǒu”, zhǐ bàidēng zhèngfǔ zhèngshì yīxún cǐ lùxiàn, bù cǎiqǔ tiǎoxìn jǔcuò...... [Pinyin]

     Larry Diamond also quotes the late U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt's famous quote "speak softly and carry a big stick". He says the Biden Administration follows this path by not pursuing provocation...