前倨後恭
Chinese
front, forepart; in front; past front, forepart; in front; past; former; previous; last; before; preceding; earlier; ago; future; time ahead; first; top; battlefront; to move forward |
haughty; arrogant | back; behind; rear back; behind; rear; afterwards; after; later |
respectful | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (前倨後恭) | 前 | 倨 | 後 | 恭 | |
| simp. (前倨后恭) | 前 | 倨 | 后 | 恭 | |
Etymology
Quoted from Su Qin, where he was ridiculing his sister-in-law for her attitude after he became famous:
- 蘇秦笑謂其嫂曰：「何前倨而後恭也？」 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
- From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE
- Sū Qín xiào wèi qí sǎo yuē: “Hé qián jù ér hòu gōng yě?” [Pinyin]
- Su Qin smiled and said to his sister-in-law, “Why were you so arrogant in the past but so respectful to me now?”
苏秦笑谓其嫂曰：「何前倨而后恭也？」 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: qiánjùhòugōng
- Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄐㄩˋ ㄏㄡˋ ㄍㄨㄥ
- Tongyong Pinyin: ciánjyùhòugong
- Wade–Giles: chʻien2-chü4-hou4-kung1
- Yale: chyán-jyù-hòu-gūng
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chyanjiuhhowgong
- Palladius: цяньцзюйхоугун (cjanʹczjujxougun)
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ t͡ɕy⁵¹⁻⁵³ xoʊ̯⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: cin4 geoi3 hau6 gung1
- Yale: chìhn geui hauh gūng
- Cantonese Pinyin: tsin4 goey3 hau6 gung1
- Guangdong Romanization: qin4 gêu3 heo6 gung1
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡sʰiːn²¹ kɵy̯³³ hɐu̯²² kʊŋ⁵⁵/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
Idiom
前倨後恭