Xiehouyu
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Xiehouyu | |||||||||||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 歇後語 | ||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 歇后语 | ||||||||||||||
Literal meaning | A saying with the latter-part suspended | ||||||||||||||
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Xiehouyu is a kind of Chinese proverb consisting of two elements: the former segment presents a novel scenario while the latter provides the rationale thereof. One would often only state the first part, expecting the listener to know the second. Compare English "an apple a day (keeps the doctor away)" or "speak of the devil (and he doth/shall appear)".
Xiēhòuyǔ is translated as "enigmatic folk simile; truncated witticism; pun" (Wenlin 2016). Puns are often involved in xiēhòuyǔ. In this case the second part is derived from the first through one meaning, but then another possible meaning of the second part is taken as the true meaning. To create examples in English, one can say "get hospitalized" to mean "be patient", or "small transactions only" to mean "no big deal". Thus a xiēhòuyǔ in one dialect can be unintelligible to a listener speaking another. Valuable linguistic data can sometimes be gleaned from ancient xiēhòuyǔ.
The origin of Xiehouyu
Xiēhòuyǔ is a special form of language created by the Chinese working people since ancient times. It is a short, funny and figurative sentence. It consists of two parts: the former part ACTS as a "lead", like a riddle, and the latter part plays the role of "back lining", which is like a riddle, which is quite natural. In a certain language environment, usually the first half, "rest" to the second half, can understand and guess its original meaning, so it is called "xiēhòuyǔ" ("saying with the latter part suspended"). The Chinese civilization has a long history. Five thousand years[citation needed] of historical vicissitudes, quenching, condensing into brilliant language art. The rest of the language is characterized by its unique expressiveness. To give people a deep thought and enlightenment. It reflects the unique customs and national culture of Huaxia nationality, tastes life, understands philosophy and promotes wisdom. Xiēhòuyǔ generally has a profound meaning, and a short sentence condensed a lot of wisdom.
Examples
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- 外甥打燈籠——照舅 (舊) / 外甥打灯笼——照舅 (旧)
- 皇帝的女兒——不愁嫁 / 皇帝的女儿——不愁嫁
- pinyin: huángdì de nǚér—bù chóu jià
- translation: The daughter of the emperor — need not worry that she cannot soon be wed
- gloss: someone or something that is always wanted
鯉
鲤
lǐ
魚
鱼
yú
吃
吃
chī
水
水
shuǐ
——
——
——
吞
吞
tūn
吞
吞
tūn
吐
吐
tǔ
吐
吐
tǔ
A carp drinks water, drinking and spitting (meaning that one speaks hesitantly)
二
二
èr
萬
万
wàn
五
五
wǔ
千
千
qiān
里
里
lǐ
長征
长征
chángzhēng
——
——
——
任
任
rèn
重
重
zhòng
道
道
dào
遠
远
yuǎn
The long march which was 25,000 miles long, used to describe an arduous journey.
江
江
jiāng
山
山
shān
易
易
yì
改,
改,
gǎi,
本
本
běn
性
性
xìng
難
难
nán
易
易
yí
The fox may grow gray but never good.
蘆溝橋
芦沟桥
lúgōuqiáo
上
上
shàng
石
石
shí
獅子
狮子
shīzi
——
——
——
數
数
shǔ
不
不
bù
清
清
qīng
There are numerous stone lions on Lu Gou Bridge. It is used to describe a large amount.
活
活
huó
到
到
dào
老,
老,
lǎo,
學
学
xué
到
到
dào
老
老
lǎo
It is never too old to learn.
不
不
bú
經
经
jīng
歷
历
lì
風
风
fēng
雨,
雨,
yǔ,
怎
怎
zěn
麽
么
me
見
见
jiàn
彩
彩
cǎi
虹
虹
hóng
No cross, no crown.
物
物
wù
以
以
yǐ
類
类
lèi
聚,
聚,
jù,
人
人
rén
以
以
yǐ
群
群
qún
分
分
fēn
Birds of a feather flock together.
茶
茶
chá
壺
壶
hú
裏
里
lǐ
煮
煮
zhǔ
餃
饺
jiǎo
子
子
zi
——
——
——
有
有
yǒu
口
口
kǒu
倒
倒
dào
不
不
bù
出
出
chū
Dumpling in a boiler(kettle) — cannot be poured out.
船
船
chuán
頭
头
tóu
上
上
shàng
跑
跑
pǎo
馬
马
mǎ
——
——
——
走
走
zǒu
投
投
tóu
無
无
wú
路
路
lù
Riding a horse on the ship's bow — no way out.
打
打
dǎ
破
破
pò
沙鍋
沙锅
shāguō
——
——
——
問
问
wèn
到
到
dào
底
底
dǐ
Insist on getting to the bottom
滴
滴
dī
水
水
shuǐ
石
石
shí
穿
穿
chuān
——
——
——
非
非
fēi
一
一
yí
日
日
rì
之
之
zhī
功
功
gōng
Constant dropping wears the stone
電
电
diàn
線
线
xiàn
桿
杆
gǎn
上
上
shàng
綁
绑
bǎng
雞
鸡
jī
毛
毛
máo
——
——
——
好
好
hǎo
大
大
dà
的
的
de
撣
掸
dǎn
(膽)
(胆)
(dǎn)
子
子
zi
Feathers tied on the pole—How cocky!
糞
粪
fèn
坑
坑
kēng
裏
里
lǐ
的
的
de
石
石
shí
頭
头
tóu
——
——
——
又
又
yòu
臭
臭
chòu
又
又
yòu
硬
硬
yìng
The stone in the cesspit — smelly and hard
腳
脚
jiǎo
踩
踩
cǎi
兩
两
liǎng
只
只
zhī
船
船
chuán
——
——
——
搖
摇
yáo
擺
摆
bǎi
不
不
bú
定
定
dìng
To sit on the fence — swing
老虎
老虎
lǎohǔ
的
的
de
屁股
屁股
pìgǔ
——
——
——
摸
摸
mō
不
不
bù
得
得
dé
The butt of the tiger, can not touch.
黃鼠狼
黄鼠狼
huángshǔláng
給
给
gěi
雞
鸡
jī
拜
拜
bài
年
年
nián
——
——
——
不
不
bú
懷
怀
huái
好
好
hǎo
意
意
yì
A weasel wishing Happy New Year to a chicken — harboring no good intention.
肉
肉
ròu
包子
包子
bāozi
打
打
dǎ
狗
狗
gǒu
——
——
——
有
有
yǒu
去
去
qù
無
无
wú
回
回
huí
Chasing a dog by throwing meat dumplings at it — gone, never to return.
手榴彈
shǒuliúdàn
炸
zhà
茅房
máofáng
–-
-
激
jī
起
qǐ
公憤
gōngfèn
(糞)
(fèn)
Throwing grenade into a public toilet — stirring up public anger.
See also
- Anapodoton
- Chengyu: Chinese "set phrases" reflecting conventional wisdom
- Homophonic puns in Mandarin Chinese
- Proverbs commonly said to be Chinese
References
- Rohsenow, John Snowden. A Chinese-English dictionary of enigmatic folk similes (xiēhòuyǔ). Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1991.
- Encyclopedia of China. First Edition. Beijing; Shanghai: Encyclopedia of China Publishing House. 1980–1993.
External links
- A collection of xiehouyu (archived page)