秋高馬肥

Chinese

		autumn; fall; harvest time autumn; fall; harvest time; a swing	high; tall	horse; surname	fat; fertile; loose-fitting
trad. (秋高馬肥)		秋	高	馬	肥
simp. (秋高马肥)		秋	高	马	肥

Etymology

《明史．卷二○四．曾銑傳》：「秋高馬肥，弓矢勁利，彼聚而攻，我散而守。」

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): qiūgāomǎféi

(Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄡㄍㄠㄇㄚˇ ㄈㄟˊ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: qiūgāomǎféi
  - Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄡㄍㄠㄇㄚˇ ㄈㄟˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ciougaomǎféi
  - Wade–Giles: chʻiu¹-kao¹-ma³-fei²
  - Yale: chyōu-gāu-mǎ-féi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chiougaumaafeir
  - Palladius: цюгаомафэй (cjugaomafɛj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵ kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ feɪ̯³⁵/

Idiom

秋高馬肥

the autumn sky is clear and the horses are strong and well-fed (indicating the nomads in the north are ready to attack so there is the need to prepare for defences.)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (秋高馬肥):

→ Japanese: 秋(しゅう)高(こう)馬(ば)肥(ひ) (shūkōbahi)
→ Korean: 추고마비(秋高馬肥) (chugomabi)

See also

Japanese: 天(てん)高(たか)く馬(うま)肥(こ)ゆる秋(あき) (tentakakūmakoyuruaki)
Korean: 천고마비(天高馬肥) (cheon'gomabi)