天要下雨，娘要嫁人

Chinese

		day; sky; heaven	important; vital; to want important; vital; to want; to be going to; must; demand; ask; request; coerce	to rain		mother; young lady	important; vital; to want important; vital; to want; to be going to; must; demand; ask; request; coerce	to get married; to marry
trad. (天要下雨，娘要嫁人)		天	要	下雨	，	娘	要	嫁人
simp. #(天要下雨，娘要嫁人)		天	要	下雨	，	娘	要	嫁人
Literally: “The sky wants to rain, and the daughter wants to marry.”

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): tiān yào xiàyǔ, niáng yào jiàrén

  (Zhuyin): ㄊㄧㄢ ㄧㄠˋ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄩˇ , ㄋㄧㄤˊ ㄧㄠˋ ㄐㄧㄚˋ ㄖㄣˊ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: tiān yào xiàyǔ, niáng yào jiàrén
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄧㄢ ㄧㄠˋ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄩˇ , ㄋㄧㄤˊ ㄧㄠˋ ㄐㄧㄚˋ ㄖㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: tian yào siàyǔ, niáng yào jiàrén
    • Wade–Giles: tʻien¹ yao⁴ hsia⁴-yü³, niang² yao⁴ chia⁴-jên²
    • Yale: tyān yàu syà-yǔ-, nyáng yàu jyà-rén
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tian yaw shiahyeu, niang yaw jiahren
    • Palladius: тянь яо сяюй, нян яо цзяжэнь (tjanʹ jao sjajuj, njan jao czjažɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ jɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ y²¹⁴⁻²¹ ni̯ɑŋ³⁵ jɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵¹ ʐən³⁵/

Phrase

天要下雨，娘要嫁人

1. (often humorous) Used to describe a situation that is now beyond redemption.

   • 天要下雨，娘要嫁人。沒辦法吧。林彪要跑，就隨他去吧。不要打。 [MSC, trad.]
     天要下雨，娘要嫁人。没办法吧。林彪要跑，就随他去吧。不要打。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1971, Mao Zedong's response after Lin Biao's exile

     Tiān yào xiàyǔ, niáng yào jiàrén. méibànfǎ ba. Lín Biāo yào pǎo, jiù suí tā qù ba. Bùyào dǎ. [Pinyin]

     The sky wants to rain, and the daughter wants to marry. There's nothing we can do. If Lin Biao wants to flee, let him go. Don't fight against him.

Synonyms

• 天要落雨，娘要嫁人