成語

See also: 成语

Chinese

		finish; complete; accomplish finish; complete; accomplish; become; turn into; win; succeed; one tenth	speech; language; dialect speech; language; dialect; tell to
trad. (成語)		成	語
simp. (成语)		成	语

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): chéngyǔ

(Zhuyin): ㄔㄥˊ ㄩˇ
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): sing⁴ jyu⁵

(Taishan, Wiktionary): sen³ ngui^4*
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): sàng-ngî
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): sia² gy³ / siann² gy³
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): sêng-gú / sêng-gír / sêng-gí

(Teochew, Peng'im): sêng⁵ ghe²
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶zen-gniu

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: chéngyǔ
  - Zhuyin: ㄔㄥˊ ㄩˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: chéngyǔ
  - Wade–Giles: chʻêng²-yü³
  - Yale: chéng-yǔ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: cherngyeu
  - Palladius: чэнъюй (čɛnʺjuj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
- (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: chéngyǔr
  - Zhuyin: ㄔㄥˊ ㄩˇㄦ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: chéngyǔr
  - Wade–Giles: chʻêng²-yü³-ʼrh
  - Yale: chéng-yǔr
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: cherngyeuel
  - Palladius: чэнъюйр (čɛnʺjujr)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ yə̯ɻ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: sing⁴ jyu⁵
  - Yale: sìhng yúh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sing⁴ jy⁵
  - Guangdong Romanization: xing⁴ yu⁵
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɪŋ²¹ jyː¹³/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: sen³ ngui^4*
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sen²² ᵑɡui²¹⁻²¹⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sàng-ngî
  - Hakka Romanization System: sang^ˇ ngi^ˊ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: sang² ngi¹
  - Sinological IPA: /saŋ¹¹ ŋi²⁴/
Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: sia² gy³ [Phonetic: sia⁵ y³]
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: siáⁿ-gṳ̂
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬia¹³⁻¹¹ ^(k-)y⁴⁵³/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: siann² gy³ [Phonetic: siann⁵ y³]
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬĩã²⁴⁻²¹ ^(k-)y³³²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Taipei)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sêng-gú
  - Tâi-lô: sîng-gú
  - Phofsit Daibuun: sengguo
  - IPA (Xiamen): /siɪŋ²⁴⁻²² ɡu⁵³/
  - IPA (Taipei): /siɪŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ ɡu⁵³/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sêng-gír
  - Tâi-lô: sîng-gír
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /siɪŋ²⁴⁻²² ɡɯ⁵⁵⁴/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sêng-gí
  - Tâi-lô: sîng-gí
  - Phofsit Daibuun: senggie
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /siɪŋ²³⁻³³ ɡi⁴¹/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /siɪŋ¹³⁻²² ɡi⁵³/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: sêng⁵ ghe²
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sêng gṳ́
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /seŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ ɡɯ⁵²/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶zen-gniu
  - MiniDict: zen^去 nyu
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³zen-nyy
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /zən²² n̠ʲy⁴⁴/

Noun

成語

chengyu (a certain kind of Chinese set phrase originating in Classical Chinese, typically four or five characters in length) (Classifier: 句; 個／个; 條／条; 本)
我最喜歡的成語是「畫蛇添足」。 [MSC, trad.]
我最喜欢的成语是「画蛇添足」。 [MSC, simp.]
Wǒ zuì xǐhuān de chéngyǔ shì “huàshétiānzú”. [Pinyin]
My favourite chengyu is "huàshétiānzú".
(proscribed) any idiomatic expression or set phrase (Classifier: 句; 個／个; 條／条; 本)

Usage notes

Although often translated as idiom, in fact 成語／成语 (chéngyǔ) refers to a specific kind of idiomatic expression in Chinese (see Chengyu). Other kinds of idioms include 俗語／俗语 (súyǔ), 諺語／谚语 (yànyǔ) and 歇後語／歇后语 (xiēhòuyǔ). The specific word for idiom or idiomatic expression in Chinese is 習慣用語／习惯用语 (xíguàn yòngyǔ) or 習語／习语 (xíyǔ).

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (成語):

→ Japanese: 成(せい)語(ご) (seigo)
→ Korean: 성어(成語) (seong'eo)
→ Vietnamese: thành ngữ (成語)

Others:

→ English: chengyu
→ French: chengyu
→ German: Chengyu
→ Russian: чэнъю́й (čɛnʺjúj)
→ Spanish: chengyu

Japanese

Kanji in this term
成	語
せい Grade: 4	ご Grade: 2
on'yomi

Noun

成(せい)語(ご) • (seigo)

set phrase

Korean

Hanja in this term
成	語

Noun

成語 • (seong'eo) (hangeul 성어)

hanja form^? of 성어 (“set phrase”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
成	語

Noun

成語

chữ Hán form of thành ngữ (“idiom”)