金龜婿

Chinese

FWOTD – 13 February 2017

		golden turtle; turtle-shaped handle on a golden seal, or the golden seal itself	husband; son-in-law
trad. (金龜婿)		金龜	婿
simp. (金龟婿)		金龟	婿
Literally: “golden-turtle husband”.

Etymology

金龜 (“golden turtle”) refers to the turtle emblem worn by medieval Tang Dynasty officials who were in the third rank or above. This word was probably first used in a poem by Li Shangyin [c. 813–858]; see below.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jīnguīxù

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄣ ㄍㄨㄟ ㄒㄩˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gam¹ gwai¹ sai³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jīnguīxù
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄣ ㄍㄨㄟ ㄒㄩˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jingueisyù
    • Wade–Giles: chin¹-kuei¹-hsü⁴
    • Yale: jīn-gwēi-syù
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jingueishiuh
    • Palladius: цзиньгуйсюй (czinʹgujsjuj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕin⁵⁵ ku̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ ɕy⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: gam¹ gwai¹ sai³
    • Yale: gām gwāi sai
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gam¹ gwai¹ sai³
    • Guangdong Romanization: gem¹ guei¹ sei³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɐm⁵⁵ kʷɐi̯⁵⁵ sɐi̯³³/

Noun

金龜婿

1. (figurative) wealthy son-in-law or husband

   釣個金龜婿／钓个金龟婿  ―  diào ge jīnguīxù  ―  to angle for a rich husband or son-in-law

   • 無端嫁得金龜婿，辜負香衾事早朝。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     无端嫁得金龟婿，辜负香衾事早朝。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Li Shangyin [c. 813–858], 《為有》 (Because)

     Wúduān jià dé jīnguīxù, gūfù xiāngqīn shì zǎocháo. [Pinyin]

     She chanced to be married to a Golden-Tortoise husband;
     How ungrateful he was, to leave the sweet quilt to attend court before break of day!