病西施

Chinese

		ailment; illness; disease ailment; illness; disease; fall ill; sick; defect	Xi Shi; beautiful woman
trad. (病西施)		病	西施
simp. ^#(病西施)		病	西施
Literally: “sick Xi Shi”.

Etymology

From a folk tradition that the beauty Xi Shi appeared even more beautiful when sick.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): bìng Xīshī

(Zhuyin): ㄅㄧㄥˋ ㄒㄧㄕ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: bìng Xīshī
  - Zhuyin: ㄅㄧㄥˋ ㄒㄧㄕ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: bìng Sishih
  - Wade–Giles: ping⁴ Hsi¹-shih¹
  - Yale: bìng Syī-shr̄
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: binq Shishy
  - Palladius: бин Сиши (bin Siši)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /piŋ⁵¹ ɕi⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

Noun

病西施

a beautiful sick person
- 好個美人！真像個病西施了。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
  好个美人！真像个病西施了。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]
  From: Cao Xueqin, Dream of the Red Chamber, mid-18^th century CE
  Hǎo ge měirén! Zhēnxiàng ge bìng Xīshī le. [Pinyin]
  What a beauty! She really resembles a sick Xishi.