四方

Chinese

		four	square; quadrilateral; place square; quadrilateral; place; region; direction; side; method; way; prescription; power; upright; just
simp. and trad. (四方)		四	方

Pronunciation 1

Mandarin
(Pinyin): sìfāng

(Zhuyin): ㄙˋ ㄈㄤ
Cantonese (Jyutping): sei³ fong¹
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): si-fông

(Hailu, HRS): si^ˇ fong^ˋ
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): so⁴ horng¹
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): sì-hng / sìr-hng / sù-hong

(Teochew, Peng'im): si³ huang¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: sìfāng
  - Zhuyin: ㄙˋ ㄈㄤ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: sìhfang
  - Wade–Giles: ssŭ⁴-fang¹
  - Yale: sz̀-fāng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: syhfang
  - Palladius: сыфан (syfan)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sz̩⁵¹ fɑŋ⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: sei³ fong¹
  - Yale: sei fōng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sei³ fong¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: séi³ fong¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sei̯³³ fɔːŋ⁵⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: si-fông
  - Hakka Romanization System: xi fong^ˊ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: xi⁴ fong¹
  - Sinological IPA: /si⁵⁵ foŋ²⁴/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: si^ˇ fong^ˋ
  - Sinological IPA: /si¹¹ foŋ⁵³/
Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: so⁴ horng¹ [Phonetic: so¹ orng¹]
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: seo̍-ho̤ng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬo⁴²⁻⁵⁵ ^(h-)ɒŋ⁵³³/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: so⁴ horng¹ [Phonetic: so¹ orng¹]
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬo⁴²⁻⁵⁵ ^(h-)ɒŋ⁵⁴⁴/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sì-hng
  - Tâi-lô: sì-hng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: sie'hngf
  - IPA (Taipei): /si¹¹⁻⁵³ hŋ̍⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /si²¹⁻⁵³ hŋ̍⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /si²¹⁻⁴¹ hŋ̍⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sìr-hng
  - Tâi-lô: sìr-hng
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /sɯ⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ hŋ̍³³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sù-hong
  - Tâi-lô: sù-hong
  - Phofsit Daibuun: suo'hofng
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /su²¹⁻⁴¹ hɔŋ⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Taipei): /su¹¹⁻⁵³ hɔŋ⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /su²¹⁻⁵³ hɔŋ⁴⁴/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: si³ huang¹
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sì huang
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /si²¹³⁻⁵⁵ huaŋ³³/

Middle Chinese: sijH pjang

Rime
Character	四	方
Reading #	1/1	2/2
Initial (聲)	心 (16)	幫 (1)
Final (韻)	脂 (15)	陽 (106)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Closed
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	息利切	府良切
Baxter	sijH	pjang
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/siɪ^H/	/pʉɐŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/si^H/	/pʷiɐŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/sjɪ^H/	/piuɑŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/si^H/	/puaŋ/
Li Rong	/si^H/	/piuaŋ/
Wang Li	/si^H/	/pĭwaŋ/
Bernhard Karlgren	/si^H/	/piwaŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	sì	fāng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	si³	fong¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*s.li[j]-s C-paŋ/

(Zhengzhang): /*hljids paŋ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	四	方
Reading #	1/1	1/3
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	sì	fāng
Middle Chinese	‹ sij^H ›	‹ pjang ›
Old Chinese	/*s.li[j]-s/	/*C-paŋ/
English	four	square
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	四	方
Reading #	1/1	1/2
No.	12022	3023
Phonetic component	四	方
Rime group	至	陽
Rime subdivision	1	0
Corresponding MC rime	四	方
Old Chinese	/*hljids/	/*paŋ/
Notes		甲金文象槳即榜初文，下初爲單筆，猶旂左初亦作單杆

Noun

四方

(literally) the four directions (north, south, east and west)
- 酒酣，高祖擊筑，自為歌詩曰：「大風起兮雲飛揚，威加海內兮歸故鄉，安得猛士兮守四方？」 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
  酒酣，高祖击筑，自为歌诗曰：「大风起兮云飞扬，威加海内兮归故乡，安得猛士兮守四方？」 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]
  From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE
  Jiǔ hān, Gāozǔ jī zhù, zìwéi gēshī yuē: “Dàfēng qǐ xī yún fēiyáng, wēi jiā hǎinèi xī guī gùxiāng, ān dé měngshì xī shǒu sìfāng?” [Pinyin]
  Having drunken liquor to his heart's content, Gaozu plucked the zhu and composed himself an ode: “A great wind came forth, the clouds rose on high. Now that my might rules all within the seas, I have returned to my old village. Where will I find brave men to guard the four corners of my land?”
(figuratively) everywhere; far and wide
- 2020, “月光暝”, 高以德 (lyrics), 吳靜慧 (music)‎^[1]performed by 蔡秋鳳 [Kerris Tsai]:
  
  月光光照四方　甘會凍照入你心門 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
  月光光照四方　甘会冻照入你心门 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]
  goe̍h kng-kng chiò sì-hng, kám ē-tàng chiò ji̍p lí sim-mn̂g [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]
  The moon brightly shines far and wide; can it shine through the door of your heart?

Synonyms

(everywhere): 各地 (gèdì)

Derived terms

四方八面 (sìfāngbāmiàn)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (四方):

→ Japanese: 四(し)方(ほう) (shihō)
→ Korean: 사방(四方) (sabang)
→ Vietnamese: tứ phương (四方)

Proper noun

四方

The Quad (anti-China alliance comprising of the United States, Japan, Australia and India)

Pronunciation 2

Mandarin
(Pinyin): sìfāng

(Zhuyin): ㄙˋ ㄈㄤ
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): sei³ fong¹

(Taishan, Wiktionary): lhu¹ fong¹
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): si-fông
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): sì-hng / sìr-hng / sù-hong / sì-pang

(Teochew, Peng'im): si³ bang¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: sìfāng
  - Zhuyin: ㄙˋ ㄈㄤ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: sìhfang
  - Wade–Giles: ssŭ⁴-fang¹
  - Yale: sz̀-fāng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: syhfang
  - Palladius: сыфан (syfan)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sz̩⁵¹ fɑŋ⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: sei³ fong¹
  - Yale: sei fōng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sei³ fong¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: séi³ fong¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sei̯³³ fɔːŋ⁵⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: lhu¹ fong¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬu³³ fɔŋ³³/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: si-fông
  - Hakka Romanization System: xi fong^ˊ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: xi⁴ fong¹
  - Sinological IPA: /si⁵⁵ foŋ²⁴/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sì-hng
  - Tâi-lô: sì-hng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: sie'hngf
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /si²¹⁻⁵³ hŋ̍⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sìr-hng
  - Tâi-lô: sìr-hng
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /sɯ⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ hŋ̍³³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sù-hong
  - Tâi-lô: sù-hong
  - Phofsit Daibuun: suo'hofng
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /su²¹⁻⁴¹ hɔŋ⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Taipei): /su¹¹⁻⁵³ hɔŋ⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /su²¹⁻⁵³ hɔŋ⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: dated in Taiwan)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sì-pang
  - Tâi-lô: sì-pang
  - Phofsit Daibuun: sie'pafng
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /si²¹⁻⁴¹ paŋ⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Taipei): /si¹¹⁻⁵³ paŋ⁴⁴/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: si³ bang¹
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sì pang
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /si²¹³⁻⁵⁵ paŋ³³/

Middle Chinese: sijH pjang

Rime
Character	四	方
Reading #	1/1	2/2
Initial (聲)	心 (16)	幫 (1)
Final (韻)	脂 (15)	陽 (106)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Closed
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	息利切	府良切
Baxter	sijH	pjang
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/siɪ^H/	/pʉɐŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/si^H/	/pʷiɐŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/sjɪ^H/	/piuɑŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/si^H/	/puaŋ/
Li Rong	/si^H/	/piuaŋ/
Wang Li	/si^H/	/pĭwaŋ/
Bernhard Karlgren	/si^H/	/piwaŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	sì	fāng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	si³	fong¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*s.li[j]-s C-paŋ/

(Zhengzhang): /*hljids paŋ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	四	方
Reading #	1/1	1/3
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	sì	fāng
Middle Chinese	‹ sij^H ›	‹ pjang ›
Old Chinese	/*s.li[j]-s/	/*C-paŋ/
English	four	square
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	四	方
Reading #	1/1	1/2
No.	12022	3023
Phonetic component	四	方
Rime group	至	陽
Rime subdivision	1	0
Corresponding MC rime	四	方
Old Chinese	/*hljids/	/*paŋ/
Notes		甲金文象槳即榜初文，下初爲單筆，猶旂左初亦作單杆

Adjective

四方

(attributive) square; cube; cubic

Derived terms

四方城
四方帽 (sìfāngmào)
四方木——踢一踢，喐一喐
四方步 (sìfāngbù)
四方聯 / 四方联
四方臉 / 四方脸

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
四	方
し Grade: 1	ほう Grade: 2
on'yomi

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) しほー [shìhóꜜò] (Nakadaka – [2])
(Tokyo) しほー [shíꜜhòò] (Atamadaka – [1])
IPA^(key): [ɕiho̞ː]

Noun

四(し)方(ほう) • (shihō)

(in) all directions, everywhere

Derived terms

四方(しほう)八方(はっぽう) (shihō happō)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
四	方
あたり
Grade: 1	Grade: 2
jukujikun

For pronunciation and definitions of 四方 – see the following entry.

【辺あたり】

[noun] area

[noun] surroundings

Alternative spellings
四辺, 邉り

(This term, 四方, is an alternative spelling (literary) of the above term.)

Korean

Hanja in this term
四	方

Noun

四方 • (sabang) (hangeul 사방)

hanja form^? of 사방 (“in all directions, everywhere”)

Chinese

Pronunciation 1

Noun

Synonyms

Derived terms

Descendants

See also

Proper noun

Pronunciation 2

Adjective

Derived terms

Japanese

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Korean

Noun