薑越老越辣

Chinese

		ginger	to exceed; to climb over; to surpass to exceed; to climb over; to surpass; the more ... the more	old; aged; venerable old; aged; venerable; outdated; experienced; (affectionate prefix)	to exceed; to climb over; to surpass to exceed; to climb over; to surpass; the more ... the more	hot (spicy); pungent
trad. (薑越老越辣)		薑	越	老	越	辣
simp. (姜越老越辣)		姜	越	老	越	辣
Literally: “The older ginger becomes, the spicier it gets.”

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jiāngyuèlǎoyuèlà

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄤ ㄩㄝˋ ㄌㄠˇ ㄩㄝˋ ㄌㄚˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): goeng¹ jyut⁶ lou⁵ jyut⁶ laat⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jiāngyuèlǎoyuèlà
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄤ ㄩㄝˋ ㄌㄠˇ ㄩㄝˋ ㄌㄚˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jiangyuèlǎoyuèlà
    • Wade–Giles: chiang¹-yüeh⁴-lao³-yüeh⁴-la⁴
    • Yale: jyāng-ywè-lǎu-ywè-là
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiangyuehlaoyuehlah
    • Palladius: цзянъюэлаоюэла (czjanʺjuelaojuela)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ɥɛ⁵¹ lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɥɛ⁵¹⁻⁵³ lä⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: goeng¹ jyut⁶ lou⁵ jyut⁶ laat⁶
    • Yale: gēung yuht lóuh yuht laaht
    • Cantonese Pinyin: goeng¹ jyt⁹ lou⁵ jyt⁹ laat⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: gêng¹ yud⁶ lou⁵ yud⁶ lad⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kœːŋ⁵⁵ jyːt̚² lou̯¹³ jyːt̚² laːt̚²/

Proverb

薑越老越辣

1. (chiefly Cantonese) The older the person is, the more seasoned (wiser or more treacherous) they are.

Synonyms

• 薑還是老的辣／姜还是老的辣 (jiāng háishì lǎo de là)
• 薑是老的辣／姜是老的辣 (jiāng shì lǎo de là)

Descendants

• → Vietnamese: gừng càng già càng cay (calque)