一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井繩
See also: 一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳
Chinese
| one day; unexpected occasion in the future | by (marker for passive-voice sentences or clauses); quilt; blanket by (marker for passive-voice sentences or clauses); quilt; blanket; to cover; to wear |
snake; serpent | bite; nip | ten years; decade | to be afraid; to fear | warn; well | rope | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井繩) | 一朝 | 被 | 蛇 | 咬 | ， | 十年 | 怕 | 井 | 繩 | |
| simp. (一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳) | 一朝 | 被 | 蛇 | 咬 | ， | 十年 | 怕 | 井 | 绳 | |
| Literally: “Bitten by a snake on one day, afraid of the rope by the well for ten years”. | ||||||||||
Etymology
Originally Buddhist. Attested in the 13th century, in books like 《五燈會元》, originally as 一度著蛇咬，怕見斷井索, where 索 (suǒ) means the same as 繩 / 绳.
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: yī zhāo bèi shé yǎo, shí nián pà jǐng shéng [Phonetic: yì zhāo bèi shé yǎo, shí nián pà jǐng shéng]
- Zhuyin: ㄧ ㄓㄠ ㄅㄟˋ ㄕㄜˊ ㄧㄠˇ , ㄕˊ ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄆㄚˋ ㄐㄧㄥˇ ㄕㄥˊ
- Tongyong Pinyin: yi jhao bèi shé yǎo, shíh nián pà jǐng shéng
- Wade–Giles: i1 chao1 pei4 shê2 yao3, shih2 nien2 pʻa4 ching3 shêng2
- Yale: yī jāu bèi shé yǎu-, shŕ nyán pà jǐng shéng
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: i jau bey sher yeau, shyr nian pah jiing sherng
- Palladius: и чжао бэй шэ яо, ши нянь па цзин шэн (i čžao bɛj šɛ jao, ši njanʹ pa czin šɛn)
- Sinological IPA (key): /i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵⁵ peɪ̯⁵¹ ʂɤ³⁵ jɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ni̯ɛn³⁵ pʰä⁵¹ t͡ɕiŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂɤŋ³⁵/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: jat1 ziu1 bei6 se4 ngaau5, sap6 nin4 paa3 zeng2 sing4
- Yale: yāt jīu beih sèh ngáauh, sahp nìhn pa jéng sìhng
- Cantonese Pinyin: jat7 dziu1 bei6 se4 ngaau5, sap9 nin4 paa3 dzeng2 sing4
- Guangdong Romanization: yed1 jiu1 béi6 sé4 ngao5, seb6 nin4 pa3 zéng2 xing4
- Sinological IPA (key): /jɐt̚⁵ t͡siːu̯⁵⁵ pei̯²² sɛː²¹ ŋaːu̯¹³ sɐp̚² niːn²¹ pʰaː³³ t͡sɛːŋ³⁵ sɪŋ²¹/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
Proverb
一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井繩
- synonym of 一朝被蛇咬，十年怕草繩 / 一朝被蛇咬，十年怕草绳 (yīzhāo bèi shé yǎo, shínián pà cǎoshéng)