奴才
Chinese
| slave | ability; talent; endowment ability; talent; endowment; gift; an expert; only (then); only if; just | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (奴才) | 奴 | 才 | |
| simp. #(奴才) | 奴 | 才 | |
| alternative forms | 奴材 | ||
Etymology
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- Cantonese (Jyutping): nou4 coi4
- Hakka
- Eastern Min (BUC): nù-chài
- Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): nou2 cai2
- Southern Min
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: núcái → núcai (toneless final syllable variant)
- Zhuyin: ㄋㄨˊ ㄘㄞˊ → ㄋㄨˊ ˙ㄘㄞ (toneless final syllable variant)
- Tongyong Pinyin: núcåi
- Wade–Giles: nu2-tsʻai5
- Yale: nú-tsai
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: nu.tsair
- Palladius: нуцай (nucaj)
- Sinological IPA (key): /nu³⁵ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵/ → /nu³⁵ t͡sʰaɪ̯³/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: nou4 coi4
- Yale: nòuh chòih
- Cantonese Pinyin: nou4 tsoi4
- Guangdong Romanization: nou4 coi4
- Sinological IPA (key): /nou̯²¹ t͡sʰɔːi̯²¹/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
- Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: nù-chhòi / nùng-chhòi
- Hakka Romanization System: nuˇ coiˇ / nungˇ coiˇ
- Hagfa Pinyim: nu2 coi2 / nung2 coi2
- Sinological IPA: /nu¹¹ t͡sʰoi̯¹¹/, /nuŋ¹¹ t͡sʰoi̯¹¹/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
- Hakka Romanization System: nu coi
- Sinological IPA: /nu⁵⁵ t͡sʰoi⁵⁵/
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
- Eastern Min
- Puxian Min
- (Putian)
- Pouseng Ping'ing: nou2 cai2 [Phonetic: nou5 lai2]
- Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: nó-chái
- Sinological IPA (key): /nɔu¹³⁻¹¹ (t͡sʰ-)lai¹³/
- (Xianyou)
- Pouseng Ping'ing: nou2 cai2 [Phonetic: nou5 lai2]
- Sinological IPA (key): /nɔu²⁴⁻²¹ (t͡sʰ-)lai²⁴/
- (Putian)
- Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lô͘-châi
- Tâi-lô: lôo-tsâi
- Phofsit Daibuun: lozaai
- IPA (Xiamen): /lɔ²⁴⁻²² t͡sai²⁴/
- IPA (Quanzhou): /lɔ²⁴⁻²² t͡sai²⁴/
- IPA (Zhangzhou): /lɔ¹³⁻²² t͡sai¹³/
- IPA (Taipei): /lɔ²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡sai²⁴/
- IPA (Kaohsiung): /lɔ²³⁻³³ t͡sai²³/
- (Teochew)
- Peng'im: nou5 cai5
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: nôu tshâi
- Sinological IPA (key): /nou⁵⁵⁻¹¹ t͡sʰai⁵⁵/
- (Hokkien)
Noun
奴才
- slave; servant; flunkey
- 1930, Hu Shih, “介紹我自己的思想 [Introducing My Thought]”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):
- 爭你們個人的自由，便是為國家爭自由！爭你們自己的人格，便是為國家爭人格！自由平等的國家不是一群奴才建造得起來的！ [MSC, trad.]
- Zhēng nǐmen gèrén de zìyóu, biàn shì wèi guójiā zhēng zìyóu! Zhēng nǐmen zìjǐ de réngé, biàn shì wèi guójiā zhēng réngé! Zìyóu píngděng de guójiā bùshì yīqún núcái jiànzào dé qǐlái de! [Pinyin]
- Striving for your personal freedom is striving for the country's freedom! Striving for your personality is striving for the national prestige! A free and equal country cannot be established by slaves!
争你们个人的自由，便是为国家争自由！争你们自己的人格，便是为国家争人格！自由平等的国家不是一群奴才建造得起来的！ [MSC, simp.]
- (derogatory) lackey; minion; bootlicker
- 狗奴才 ― gǒu núcái ― bootlicker
Synonyms
Pronoun
奴才