船頭驚鬼，船尾驚賊

Chinese

		the bow of a ship or boat; pier; wharf the bow of a ship or boat; pier; wharf; dock; quay	to startle; to be frightened; to be scared to startle; to be frightened; to be scared; alarm	ghost; sly; crafty		ship stern	to startle; to be frightened; to be scared to startle; to be frightened; to be scared; alarm	thief
trad. (船頭驚鬼，船尾驚賊)		船頭	驚	鬼	，	船尾	驚	賊
simp. (船头惊鬼，船尾惊贼)		船头	惊	鬼	，	船尾	惊	贼
Literally: “to fear ghosts at the bow and bandits at the stern”.

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): syun⁴ tau⁴ geng¹ gwai², syun⁴ mei⁵ geng¹ caak⁶

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• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: syun⁴ tau⁴ geng¹ gwai², syun⁴ mei⁵ geng¹ caak⁶
    • Yale: syùhn tàuh gēng gwái, syùhn méih gēng chaahk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: syn⁴ tau⁴ geng¹ gwai², syn⁴ mei⁵ geng¹ tsaak⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: xun⁴ teo⁴ géng¹ guei², xun⁴ méi⁵ géng¹ cag⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /syːn²¹ tʰɐu̯²¹ kɛːŋ⁵⁵ kʷɐi̯³⁵ syːn²¹ mei̯¹³ kɛːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰaːk̚²/

Idiom

船頭驚鬼，船尾驚賊

1. (Cantonese) to be timid and fear many things

Synonyms

• (Cantonese) 船頭慌鬼，船尾慌賊／船头慌鬼，船尾慌贼
• 畏首畏尾 (wèishǒuwèiwěi)