十室九空
Chinese
| ten | room | nine | emptied; leisure; air emptied; leisure; air; sky; empty; in vain | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (十室九空) | 十 | 室 | 九 | 空 | |
| simp. #(十室九空) | 十 | 室 | 九 | 空 | |
| Literally: “nine out of ten houses are empty”. | |||||
Etymology
First attested in c. 317, in Baopuzi Outer Chapter XIV (《抱朴子·外篇·用刑》):
- 天下欲反，十室九空。其所以亡，豈由嚴刑？ [Literary Chinese, trad.]
- From: Ge Hong, Baopuzi, 4th century CE
- Tiānxià yù fǎn, shí shì jiǔ kōng. Qí suǒyǐ wáng, qǐ yóu yánxíng? [Pinyin]
- When people throughout the country are on the verge of rebellion, nine in ten homes lie desolate. Could harsh laws be to blame for causing its fall?
天下欲反，十室九空。其所以亡，岂由严刑？ [Literary Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland and Taiwan)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: shíshìjiǔkōng
- Zhuyin: ㄕˊ ㄕˋ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄎㄨㄥ
- Tongyong Pinyin: shíhshìhjiǒukong
- Wade–Giles: shih2-shih4-chiu3-kʻung1
- Yale: shŕ-shr̀-jyǒu-kūng
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyrshyhjeoukong
- Palladius: шишицзюкун (šišiczjukun)
- Sinological IPA (key): /ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʰʊŋ⁵⁵/
- (Standard Chinese, variant in Mainland)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: shíshǐjiǔkōng [Phonetic: shíshíjiǔkōng]
- Zhuyin: ㄕˊ ㄕˇ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄎㄨㄥ
- Tongyong Pinyin: shíhshǐhjiǒukong
- Wade–Giles: shih2-shih3-chiu3-kʻung1
- Yale: shŕ-shř-jyǒu-kūng
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyrshyyjeoukong
- Palladius: шишицзюкун (šišiczjukun)
- Sinological IPA (key): /ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʰʊŋ⁵⁵/
- (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland and Taiwan)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: sap6 sat1 gau2 hung1
- Yale: sahp sāt gáu hūng
- Cantonese Pinyin: sap9 sat7 gau2 hung1
- Guangdong Romanization: seb6 sed1 geo2 hung1
- Sinological IPA (key): /sɐp̚² sɐt̚⁵ kɐu̯³⁵ hʊŋ⁵⁵/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
Idiom
十室九空