細大不捐
Chinese
fine; minutely; thin fine; minutely; thin; slender |
big; great; huge big; great; huge; large; major; wide; deep; oldest; eldest; doctor |
not; no | to contribute; to donate; tax to contribute; to donate; tax; to abandon | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (細大不捐) | 細 | 大 | 不 | 捐 | |
| simp. (细大不捐) | 细 | 大 | 不 | 捐 | |
Etymology
Coined by Han Yu in his An Explication of “Progress in Learning” in the early 9th c.:
- 貪多務得,細大不捐;焚膏油以繼晷,恒兀兀以窮年:先生之業,可謂勤矣。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
- From: c. 812, 韓愈 (Han Yu), 《進學解》
- Tān duō wù dé, xìdàbùjuān; fén gāoyóu yǐ jì guǐ, héng wùwù yǐ qióng nián: xiānshēng zhī yè, kěwèi qín yǐ. [Pinyin]
- Yet still you strove and worked for more,
and big or small did all belong;
you burned your oil to stretch the sun's shadow,
tired and weary year after year.
Truly, Sir, of your own studies
it must be said, you've worked hard and long. (Translated by Charles Hartman)
贪多务得,细大不捐;焚膏油以继晷,恒兀兀以穷年:先生之业,可谓勤矣。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: xìdàbùjuān
- Zhuyin: ㄒㄧˋ ㄉㄚˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄩㄢ
- Tongyong Pinyin: sìdàbùjyuan
- Wade–Giles: hsi4-ta4-pu4-chüan1
- Yale: syì-dà-bù-jywān
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shihdahbujiuan
- Palladius: сидабуцзюань (sidabuczjuanʹ)
- Sinological IPA (key): /ɕi⁵¹⁻⁵³ tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕy̯ɛn⁵⁵/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Middle Chinese: sejH dajH pjut ywen
Idiom
細大不捐