弱水三千，只取一瓢飲

Chinese
three thousand
 
only; merely; just
only; merely; just; but
 
to take; to get; to choose
to take; to get; to choose; to fetch
 
one; single; a
one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)
 dipper; ladle drink
trad. (弱水三千，只取一瓢飲) 弱水 三 千 ， 只 取 一 瓢 飲
simp. (弱水三千，只取一瓢饮) 弱水 三 千 ， 只 取 一 瓢 饮

Etymology

From: Chapter 91 of the Dream of the Red Chamber

  • Literally: (although) the Ruo River is three thousand li long, one only drinks one ladle worth of water from it.
    Later on, this phrase was used as a metaphor for choosing only one companion out of all potential mates.

Pronunciation

  • Mandarin
    (Pinyin): ruòshuǐsānqiān, zhǐ qǔ yīpiáo yǐn
    (Zhuyin): ㄖㄨㄛˋ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄙㄢ ㄑㄧㄢ , ㄓˇ ㄑㄩˇ ㄧ ㄆㄧㄠˊ ㄧㄣˇ
  • Mandarin
    • (Standard Chinese)+
      • Hanyu Pinyin: ruòshuǐsānqiān, zhǐ qǔ yīpiáo yǐn [Phonetic: ruòshuǐsānqiān,zhíqǔyìpiáoyǐn]
      • Zhuyin: ㄖㄨㄛˋ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄙㄢ ㄑㄧㄢ , ㄓˇ ㄑㄩˇ ㄧ ㄆㄧㄠˊ ㄧㄣˇ
      • Tongyong Pinyin: ruòshuěisancian, jhǐh cyǔ yipiáo yǐn
      • Wade–Giles: jo4-shui3-san1-chʻien1, chih3 chʻü3 i1-pʻiao2 yin3
      • Yale: rwò-shwěi-sān-chyān-, jř chyǔ yī-pyáu yǐn
      • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ruohshoeisanchian, jyy cheu ipyau yiin
      • Palladius: жошуйсаньцянь, чжи цюй ипяо инь (žošujsanʹcjanʹ, čži cjuj ipjao inʹ)
      • Sinological IPA (key): /ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ sän⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ pʰi̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ in²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Idiom

弱水三千，只取一瓢飲

  1. there are so many potential lovers to choose from, but you only pick one from among those potential lovers
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.