百步穿楊

Chinese

		hundred	a step; a pace; walk a step; a pace; walk; march; stages in a process	to bore through; pierce; perforate to bore through; pierce; perforate; penetrate; pass through; to dress; to wear; to put on; to thread	surname; poplar
trad. (百步穿楊)		百	步	穿	楊
simp. (百步穿杨)		百	步	穿	杨
Literally: “to shoot an arrow through a willow leaf at a hundred paces; to split a willow wand at a hundred paces”.

Etymology

Derived from the story of the archer 養由基 (Yang Youji) as presented in Zhan Guo Ce.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bǎibùchuānyáng

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄞˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄨㄢ ㄧㄤˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): baak³ bou⁶ cyun¹ joeng⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bǎibùchuānyáng
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄞˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄨㄢ ㄧㄤˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bǎibùchuanyáng
    • Wade–Giles: pai³-pu⁴-chʻuan¹-yang²
    • Yale: bǎi-bù-chwān-yáng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: baebuhchuanyang
    • Palladius: байбучуаньян (bajbučuanʹjan)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än⁵⁵ jɑŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: baak³ bou⁶ cyun¹ joeng⁴
    • Yale: baak bouh chyūn yèuhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: baak⁸ bou⁶ tsyn¹ joeng⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: bag³ bou⁶ qun¹ yêng⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /paːk̚³ pou̯²² t͡sʰyːn⁵⁵ jœːŋ²¹/

Idiom

百步穿楊

1. (figurative, of archery, gun shooting, basketball, etc.) to shoot with great precision