霸王硬上弓

Chinese

		Xiang Yu	hard; stiff; strong hard; stiff; strong; firm	up; on; on top up; on; on top; upon; first; previous or last; upper; higher; above; previous; to climb; to go into; to go up	a bow (weapon)
trad. (霸王硬上弓)		霸王	硬	上	弓
simp. ^#(霸王硬上弓)		霸王	硬	上	弓
Literally: “Xiang Yu (the overlord) attaches the bowstring”.

Etymology

It is said that the mighty leader Xiang Yu could bend a bow and attach the string with only one hand.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): bàwáng yìng shàng gōng

(Zhuyin): ㄅㄚˋ ㄨㄤˊ ㄧㄥˋ ㄕㄤˋ ㄍㄨㄥ
Cantonese (Jyutping): baa³ wong⁴ ngaang⁶ soeng⁵ gung¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: bàwáng yìng shàng gōng
  - Zhuyin: ㄅㄚˋ ㄨㄤˊ ㄧㄥˋ ㄕㄤˋ ㄍㄨㄥ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: bàwáng yìng shàng gong
  - Wade–Giles: pa⁴-wang² ying⁴ shang⁴ kung¹
  - Yale: bà-wáng yìng shàng gūng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: bahwang yinq shanq gong
  - Palladius: баван ин шан гун (bavan in šan gun)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pä⁵¹ wɑŋ³⁵ iŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂɑŋ⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: baa³ wong⁴ ngaang⁶ soeng⁵ gung¹
  - Yale: ba wòhng ngaahng séuhng gūng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: baa³ wong⁴ ngaang⁶ soeng⁵ gung¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: ba³ wong⁴ ngang⁶ sêng⁵ gung¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /paː³³ wɔːŋ²¹ ŋaːŋ²² sœːŋ¹³ kʊŋ⁵⁵/

Idiom

霸王硬上弓

(figurative) to do something by force
(euphemistic) to force oneself upon; to rape