問鼎

Chinese

		to ask	ancient bronze cauldron; throne; (Min) wok
trad. (問鼎)		問	鼎
simp. (问鼎)		问	鼎

Etymology

From Zuozhuan:

楚子伐陸渾之戎，遂至於雒，觀兵於周疆。定王使王孫滿勞楚子，楚子問鼎之大小輕重焉。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]

楚子伐陆浑之戎，遂至于雒，观兵于周疆。定王使王孙满劳楚子，楚子问鼎之大小轻重焉。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

Chǔ Zǐ fá Lùhún zhī róng, suì zhì yú Luò, guān bīng yú Zhōu jiāng. Dìngwáng shǐ Wángsūn Mǎn lào Chǔ Zǐ, Chǔ Zǐ wèn dǐng zhī dàxiǎo qīngzhòng yān. [Pinyin]

The Viscount of Chu attacks the barbaric tribes of Luhun. Then he arrives at Luoyi and parades his armies within the border of Zhou. The King Ding sends Wangsun (Prince) Man to reward the viscount. (The Viscount) asks (Man) about the size and weight of the Nine Dings (the symbol of the utmost authority over the inhabited world).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): wèndǐng

(Zhuyin): ㄨㄣˋ ㄉㄧㄥˇ
Cantonese (Jyutping): man⁶ ding²

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: wèndǐng
  - Zhuyin: ㄨㄣˋ ㄉㄧㄥˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: wùndǐng
  - Wade–Giles: wên⁴-ting³
  - Yale: wèn-dǐng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wenndiing
  - Palladius: вэньдин (vɛnʹdin)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /wən⁵¹ tiŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: man⁶ ding²
  - Yale: mahn díng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: man⁶ ding²
  - Guangdong Romanization: men⁶ ding²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɐn²² tɪŋ³⁵/

Middle Chinese: mjunH tengX

Rime
Character	問	鼎
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	明 (4)	端 (5)
Final (韻)	文 (59)	青 (125)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Open
Division (等)	III	IV
Fanqie	亡運切	都挺切
Baxter	mjunH	tengX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/mɨun^H/	/teŋ^X/
Pan Wuyun	/miun^H/	/teŋ^X/
Shao Rongfen	/miuən^H/	/tɛŋ^X/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/mun^H/	/tɛjŋ^X/
Li Rong	/miuən^H/	/teŋ^X/
Wang Li	/mĭuən^H/	/tieŋ^X/
Bernhard Karlgren	/mi̯uən^H/	/tieŋ^X/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wèn	dǐng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	man⁶	ding²

Verb

問鼎

to aspire to the throne
to invade
to get involved with
to aim at (the first place etc); to compete for