孔方

Chinese

		hole; surname	square; quadrilateral; place square; quadrilateral; place; region; direction; side; method; way; prescription; power; upright; just
simp. and trad. (孔方)		孔	方

Etymology

So named as ancient Chinese coins were produced with a square hole in the middle.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): kǒngfāng

(Zhuyin): ㄎㄨㄥˇ ㄈㄤ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: kǒngfāng
  - Zhuyin: ㄎㄨㄥˇ ㄈㄤ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: kǒngfang
  - Wade–Giles: kʻung³-fang¹
  - Yale: kǔng-fāng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: koongfang
  - Palladius: кунфан (kunfan)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ fɑŋ⁵⁵/

Noun

孔方

(figurative, humorous) money
- 言食則餬口，道錢則孔方。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
  言食则糊口，道钱则孔方。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]
  From: Yan Zhitui, The Family Instructions of Master Yan, 6^th century CE
  Yán shí zé húkǒu, dào qián zé kǒngfāng. [Pinyin]
  (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- 調停惟賴孔方；紳士責言，控訴不遺餘力。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
  调停惟赖孔方；绅士责言，控诉不遗余力。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]
  From: Modern Times (novel)
  Diàotíng wéi lài kǒngfāng; shēnshì zé yán, kòngsù bùyíyúlì. [Pinyin]
  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Derived terms

孔方兄 (kǒngfāngxiōng)

References

“孔方”, in 重編國語辭典修訂本 [Revised Mandarin Chinese Dictionary] (in Chinese), National Academy for Educational Research (Taiwan), 2021.