搖搖欲墜

Chinese

		shake; to rock	shake; to rock	desire; longing; appetite desire; longing; appetite; wish	fall
trad. (搖搖欲墜)		搖	搖	欲	墜
simp. (摇摇欲坠)		摇	摇	欲	坠
Literally: “shaking or swaying as if about to collapse”.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yáoyáoyùzhuì

(Zhuyin): ㄧㄠˊ ㄧㄠˊ ㄩˋ ㄓㄨㄟˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): jiu⁴ jiu⁴ juk⁶ zeoi⁶

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yáoyáoyùzhuì
  - Zhuyin: ㄧㄠˊ ㄧㄠˊ ㄩˋ ㄓㄨㄟˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yáoyáoyùjhuèi
  - Wade–Giles: yao²-yao²-yü⁴-chui⁴
  - Yale: yáu-yáu-yù-jwèi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yauyauyuhjuey
  - Palladius: яояоюйчжуй (jaojaojujčžuj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɑʊ̯³⁵ jɑʊ̯³⁵ y⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂu̯eɪ̯⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: jiu⁴ jiu⁴ juk⁶ zeoi⁶
  - Yale: yìuh yìuh yuhk jeuih
  - Cantonese Pinyin: jiu⁴ jiu⁴ juk⁹ dzoey⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: yiu⁴ yiu⁴ yug⁶ zêu⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiːu̯²¹ jiːu̯²¹ jʊk̚² t͡sɵy̯²²/

Idiom

搖搖欲墜

tottering; ramshackle; on the brink of collapse
- 萬帳穹廬人醉，星影搖搖欲墜。 [Ci, trad.]
  万帐穹庐人醉，星影摇摇欲坠。 [Ci, simp.]
  From: 1682, Nara Singde,《如夢令》
  Wàn zhàng qiónglú rén zuì, xīng yǐng yáoyáoyùzhuì. [Pinyin]
  Ten thousand domed tents steeped in drunken haze,
  Star-shadows quiver, teetering to cascade.