葫蘆裡賣的甚麼藥

Chinese

		bottle gourd; calabash; person that can drink a large amount of water	inside; within; in inside; within; in; lining of clothing	sell	really and truly; aim; clear really and truly; aim; clear; (possessive, modifying, or descriptive particle); of		medicine; drug; cure
trad. (葫蘆裡賣的甚麼藥/葫蘆裏賣的甚麼藥)		葫蘆	裡/裏	賣	的	甚麼	藥
simp. (葫芦里卖的什么药)		葫芦	里	卖	的	什么	药
Literally: “what medicine is being sold inside the calabash?”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): húlu lǐ mài de shénme yào

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄨˊ ˙ㄌㄨ ㄌㄧˇ ㄇㄞˋ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄕㄣˊ ˙ㄇㄜ ㄧㄠˋ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: húlu lǐ mài de shénme yào
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄨˊ ˙ㄌㄨ ㄌㄧˇ ㄇㄞˋ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄕㄣˊ ˙ㄇㄜ ㄧㄠˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: húlů lǐ mài de̊ shénme̊ yào
    • Wade–Giles: hu²-lu⁵ li³ mai⁴ tê⁵ shên²-mê⁵ yao⁴
    • Yale: hú-lu lǐ mài de shén-me yàu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: hwu.lu lii may .de shern.me yaw
    • Palladius: хулу ли май дэ шэньмэ яо (xulu li maj dɛ šɛnʹmɛ jao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xu³⁵ lu³ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ maɪ̯⁵¹ d̥ə¹ ʂən³⁵ mə³ jɑʊ̯⁵¹/

Idiom

葫蘆裡賣的甚麼藥

1. not knowing what another is planning or thinking