欲言又止
Chinese
desire; longing; appetite desire; longing; appetite; wish |
to speak; to say; talk to speak; to say; talk; word |
(once) again; also; both... and... (once) again; also; both... and...; again |
to stop; prohibit; till | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| simp. and trad. (欲言又止) |
欲 | 言 | 又 | 止 | |
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: yùyányòuzhǐ
- Zhuyin: ㄩˋ ㄧㄢˊ ㄧㄡˋ ㄓˇ
- Tongyong Pinyin: yùyányòujhǐh
- Wade–Giles: yü4-yen2-yu4-chih3
- Yale: yù-yán-yòu-jř
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yuhyanyowjyy
- Palladius: юйяньючжи (jujjanʹjučži)
- Sinological IPA (key): /y⁵¹ jɛn³⁵ joʊ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: juk6 jin4 jau6 zi2
- Yale: yuhk yìhn yauh jí
- Cantonese Pinyin: juk9 jin4 jau6 dzi2
- Guangdong Romanization: yug6 yin4 yeo6 ji2
- Sinological IPA (key): /jʊk̚² jiːn²¹ jɐu̯²² t͡siː³⁵/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
Idiom
欲言又止
- to hesitate in speaking
- （旦作驚喜，欲言又止介）（背想）這生素昧平生，何因到此？ [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
- From: 1598, 湯顯祖 (Tang Xianzu),《牡丹亭·驚夢》, transl. Xu Yuanchong & Xu Ming
- (dàn zuò jīngxǐ, yùyányòuzhǐ jiè) (bèi xiǎng) Zhè shēng sùmèipíngshēng, héyīn dàocǐ? [Pinyin]
- (Pleased but abashed, about to speak but pausing, sunk in meditation, speaking aside)
I have never seen him before.
How can I know what he is coming for?
（旦作惊喜，欲言又止介）（背想）这生素昧平生，何因到此？ [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]