紅顏禍水

Chinese

		pretty face; rosy complexion; beautiful woman	water of calamity; charming beauty, as a source of calamity; femme fatale
trad. (紅顏禍水)		紅顏	禍水
simp. (红颜祸水)		红颜	祸水
Literally: “rosy cheeks ― water of disaster”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): hóngyánhuòshuǐ

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄧㄢˊ ㄏㄨㄛˋ ㄕㄨㄟˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): hung⁴ ngaan⁴ wo⁶ seoi²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: hóngyánhuòshuǐ
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄧㄢˊ ㄏㄨㄛˋ ㄕㄨㄟˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: hóngyánhuòshuěi
    • Wade–Giles: hung²-yen²-huo⁴-shui³
    • Yale: húng-yán-hwò-shwěi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: horngyanhuohshoei
    • Palladius: хунъяньхошуй (xunʺjanʹxošuj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xʊŋ³⁵ jɛn³⁵ xu̯ɔ⁵¹ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: hung⁴ ngaan⁴ wo⁶ seoi²
    • Yale: hùhng ngàahn woh séui
    • Cantonese Pinyin: hung⁴ ngaan⁴ wo⁶ soey²
    • Guangdong Romanization: hung⁴ ngan⁴ wo⁶ sêu²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hʊŋ²¹ ŋaːn²¹ wɔː²² sɵy̯³⁵/

Idiom

紅顏禍水

1. charming beauty who makes men fall and leads to disasters (such as a loss of wealth or reputation, or a toppled nation); dangerous woman; femme fatale (Classifier: 灘／滩)

Usage notes

Some historical figures described as such are Mo Xi, Daji and Bao Si.