廬山真面目

Chinese

		Mount Lu	true features; true identity; true colors
trad. (廬山真面目/廬山眞面目)		廬山	真面目/眞面目
simp. (庐山真面目)		庐山	真面目

Etymology

See 不識廬山真面目／不识庐山真面目 (bùshí Lúshān zhēnmiànmù).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): lúshān zhēnmiànmù

(Zhuyin): ㄌㄨˊ ㄕㄢㄓㄣㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄇㄨˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): lou⁴ saan¹ zan¹ min⁶ muk⁶

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: lúshān zhēnmiànmù
  - Zhuyin: ㄌㄨˊ ㄕㄢㄓㄣㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄇㄨˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: lúshan jhenmiànmù
  - Wade–Giles: lu²-shan¹ chên¹-mien⁴-mu⁴
  - Yale: lú-shān jēn-myàn-mù
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lushan jenmiannmuh
  - Palladius: лушань чжэньмяньму (lušanʹ čžɛnʹmjanʹmu)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lu³⁵ ʂän⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂən⁵⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: lou⁴ saan¹ zan¹ min⁶ muk⁶
  - Yale: lòuh sāan jān mihn muhk
  - Cantonese Pinyin: lou⁴ saan¹ dzan¹ min⁶ muk⁹
  - Guangdong Romanization: lou⁴ san¹ zen¹ min⁶ mug⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lou̯²¹ saːn⁵⁵ t͡sɐn⁵⁵ miːn²² mʊk̚²/

Noun

廬山真面目

(figuratively, idiomatic) the real and original face (or appearance) of someone (or something)
(figuratively, idiomatic) the truth about a person or matter (that is not easy to recognize); the true nature of someone or something