朽木糞牆

See also: 朽木粪墙

Chinese

	rotten	tree; wood	manure; dung	wall
trad. (朽木糞牆)	朽	木	糞	牆
simp. (朽木粪墙)	朽	木	粪	墙
Literally: “rotten wood, feces wall”.

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 5 (《論語·公冶長》):

宰予晝寢。子曰：「朽木不可雕也，糞土之牆，不可杇也，於予與何誅。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

宰予昼寝。子曰：「朽木不可雕也，粪土之墙，不可杇也，于予与何诛。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Zǎi Yǔ zhòuqǐn. Zǐyuē: “Xiǔmù bùkě diāo yě, fèntǔ zhī qiáng, bùkě wū yě, yú Yǔ yǔ hé zhū.” [Pinyin]

Zai Yu being asleep during the daytime, the Master said, "Rotten wood cannot be carved; a wall of dirty earth will not receive the trowel. This Yu! — what is the use of my reproving him?"

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): xiǔmùfènqiáng

(Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄡˇ ㄇㄨˋ ㄈㄣˋ ㄑㄧㄤˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): nau² muk⁶ fan³ coeng⁴, nau⁵ muk⁶ fan³ coeng⁴

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: xiǔmùfènqiáng
  - Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄡˇ ㄇㄨˋ ㄈㄣˋ ㄑㄧㄤˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: siǒumùfènciáng
  - Wade–Giles: hsiu³-mu⁴-fên⁴-chʻiang²
  - Yale: syǒu-mù-fèn-chyáng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sheoumuhfennchyang
  - Palladius: сюмуфэньцян (sjumufɛnʹcjan)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ mu⁵¹⁻⁵³ fən⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: nau² muk⁶ fan³ coeng⁴, nau⁵ muk⁶ fan³ coeng⁴
  - Yale: náu muhk fan chèuhng, náuh muhk fan chèuhng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: nau² muk⁹ fan³ tsoeng⁴, nau⁵ muk⁹ fan³ tsoeng⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: neo² mug⁶ fen³ cêng⁴, neo⁵ mug⁶ fen³ cêng⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /nɐu̯³⁵ mʊk̚² fɐn³³ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹/, /nɐu̯¹³ mʊk̚² fɐn³³ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹/

Idiom

朽木糞牆

a person whose spirit is rotten cannot benefit from education
an unsalvageable situation

Japanese

Kanji in this term
朽	木	糞	牆
Grade: S	Grade: 1	Hyōgaiji	Hyōgaiji

Etymology

From Literary Chinese 朽木糞牆／朽木粪墙 (xiǔmùfènqiáng).

Idiom

朽木糞牆(きゅうぼくふんしょう) • (kyūbokufunshō)

A piece of rotten wood cannot be turned into something beautiful. That is, a person whose spirit is rotten cannot benefit from education.

References

The Kōjien (広辞苑) Dictionary of the Japanese Language, 5th edition, Iwanami Shoten Publishing, Tokyo.

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