龜毛兔角

Chinese

		tortoise; turtle	hair; fur; one tenth of a yuan or dollar	rabbit	horn; angle; role horn; angle; role; actor; contend; horn-shaped; Chinese musical note
trad. (龜毛兔角)		龜	毛	兔	角
simp. (龟毛兔角)		龟	毛	兔	角
Literally: “tortoise's fur and rabbit's horn”.

Etymology

First attested in Buddhist sutras.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): guīmáotùjiǎo

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄟ ㄇㄠˊ ㄊㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄠˇ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: guīmáotùjiǎo
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄟ ㄇㄠˊ ㄊㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄠˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: gueimáotùjiǎo
    • Wade–Giles: kuei¹-mao²-tʻu⁴-chiao³
    • Yale: gwēi-máu-tù-jyǎu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gueimautuhjeau
    • Palladius: гуймаотуцзяо (gujmaotuczjao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ku̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ mɑʊ̯³⁵ tʰu⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Idiom

龜毛兔角

1. an impossibility