遠水不救近火
Chinese
| far; distant; remote | water; river | not; no | to save; to assist; to rescue | near; close (to); approximately | fire; angry; fierce fire; angry; fierce; fiery; thriving | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (遠水不救近火) | 遠 | 水 | 不 | 救 | 近 | 火 | |
| simp. (远水不救近火) | 远 | 水 | 不 | 救 | 近 | 火 | |
| alternative forms | 遠水救不了近火／远水救不了近火 遠水救不得近火／远水救不得近火 | ||||||
Etymology
From Hanfeizi:
- 失火而取水於海，海水雖多，火必不滅矣，遠水不救近火也。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
- From: Han Feizi, circa 2nd century BCE
- Shīhuǒ ér qǔ shuǐ yú hǎi, hǎishuǐ suī duō, huǒ bì bù miè yǐ, yuǎn shuǐ bù jiù jìn huǒ yě. [Pinyin]
- Suppose a fire breaks out and we rush to fetch water from the sea. Though the seawater is plentiful, the flames would continue to rage, for distant waters cannot quench a fire close at hand.
失火而取水于海，海水虽多，火必不灭矣，远水不救近火也。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- Cantonese (Jyutping): jyun5 seoi2 bat1 gau3 gan6 fo2
- Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): oán súi put kiù kīn hóⁿ
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: yuǎn shuǐ bù jiù jìn huǒ [Phonetic: yuánshuǐbújiùjìnhuǒ]
- Zhuyin: ㄩㄢˇ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄏㄨㄛˇ
- Tongyong Pinyin: yuǎn shuěi bù jiòu jìn huǒ
- Wade–Giles: yüan3 shui3 pu4 chiu4 chin4 huo3
- Yale: ywǎn shwěi bù jyòu jìn hwǒ
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yeuan shoei bu jiow jinn huoo
- Palladius: юань шуй бу цзю цзинь хо (juanʹ šuj bu czju czinʹ xo)
- Sinological IPA (key): /ɥɛn²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕin⁵¹ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: jyun5 seoi2 bat1 gau3 gan6 fo2
- Yale: yúhn séui bāt gau gahn fó
- Cantonese Pinyin: jyn5 soey2 bat7 gau3 gan6 fo2
- Guangdong Romanization: yun5 sêu2 bed1 geo3 gen6 fo2
- Sinological IPA (key): /jyːn¹³ sɵy̯³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ kɐu̯³³ kɐn²² fɔː³⁵/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: oán súi put kiù kīn hóⁿ
- Tâi-lô: uán suí put kiù kīn hónn
- Phofsit Daibuun: oarn suie pud kiux kin hvor
- IPA (Xiamen): /uan⁵³⁻⁴⁴ sui⁵³ put̚³²⁻⁴ kiu²¹⁻⁵³ kin²²⁻²¹ hɔ̃⁵³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen)
Proverb
遠水不救近火