左右為難

Chinese

		left and right; left and right sides; both sides	in a difficult situation; awkward; embarrassing in a difficult situation; awkward; embarrassing; uncomfortable
trad. (左右為難/左右爲難)		左右	為難/爲難
simp. (左右为难)		左右	为难

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): zuǒyòuwéinán

(Zhuyin): ㄗㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄡˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄋㄢˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): zo² jau⁶ wai⁴ naan⁴
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): chó-iū-ûi-lân

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: zuǒyòuwéinán
  - Zhuyin: ㄗㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄡˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄋㄢˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: zuǒyòuwéinán
  - Wade–Giles: tso³-yu⁴-wei²-nan²
  - Yale: dzwǒ-yòu-wéi-nán
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzuooyowweinan
  - Palladius: цзоювэйнань (czojuvɛjnanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ joʊ̯⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ nän³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: zo² jau⁶ wai⁴ naan⁴
  - Yale: jó yauh wàih nàahn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dzo² jau⁶ wai⁴ naan⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: zo² yeo⁶ wei⁴ nan⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɔː³⁵ jɐu̯²² wɐi̯²¹ naːn²¹/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chó-iū-ûi-lân
  - Tâi-lô: tsó-iū-uî-lân
  - Phofsit Daibuun: zoyiuxuilaan
  - IPA (Xiamen): /t͡so⁵³⁻⁴⁴ iu²²⁻²¹ ui²⁴⁻²² lan²⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡so⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ iu⁴¹⁻²² ui²⁴⁻²² lan²⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡so⁵³⁻⁴⁴ iu²²⁻²¹ ui¹³⁻²² lan¹³/
  - IPA (Taipei): /t͡so⁵³⁻⁴⁴ iu³³⁻¹¹ ui²⁴⁻¹¹ lan²⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sɤ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ iu³³⁻²¹ ui²³⁻³³ lan²³/

Idiom

左右為難

to be between a rock and a hard place