六月飛霜

Chinese

		June; sixth month of the Chinese calendar	to fly	frost
trad. (六月飛霜)		六月	飛	霜
simp. (六月飞霜)		六月	飞	霜
Literally: “snow in sixth month of the Chinese calendar (mid-Summer)”.

Etymology

From a legend related to Zou Yan, which was believed to be from Huainanzi:

鄒衍事燕惠王盡忠，左右贊之；王系之，仰天而哭。夏五月，天為之下霜。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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邹衍事燕惠王尽忠，左右赞之；王系之，仰天而哭。夏五月，天为之下霜。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Xu Jian, Zhang Yue, Wei Shu; Chu Xue Ji (《初學記》), c. 7th Century

Zōu Yǎn shì Yàn Huìwáng jìnzhōng, zuǒyòu zàn zhī; wáng xì zhī, yǎngtiān ér kū. Xià wǔyuè, tiān wèi zhī xià shuāng. [Pinyin]

Zou Yan was very loyal to the King Hui of Yan, he was praised by the King's ministers. But the King imprisoned him, Zou cried his heart out. In Summer when it was the fifth month (approximately June to July in the Gregorian calendar), the Heaven snowed for him.

Later popularized through the play The Injustice to Dou E in Yuan dynasty.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): liùyuèfēishuāng

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄡˋ ㄩㄝˋ ㄈㄟ ㄕㄨㄤ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): luk⁶ jyut⁶ fei¹ soeng¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: liùyuèfēishuāng
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄡˋ ㄩㄝˋ ㄈㄟ ㄕㄨㄤ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: liòuyuèfeishuang
    • Wade–Giles: liu⁴-yüeh⁴-fei¹-shuang¹
    • Yale: lyòu-ywè-fēi-shwāng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: liowyuehfeishuang
    • Palladius: лююэфэйшуан (ljujuefɛjšuan)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɥɛ⁵¹ feɪ̯⁵⁵ ʂu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: luk⁶ jyut⁶ fei¹ soeng¹
    • Yale: luhk yuht fēi sēung
    • Cantonese Pinyin: luk⁹ jyt⁹ fei¹ soeng¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: lug⁶ yud⁶ féi¹ sêng¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lʊk̚² jyːt̚² fei̯⁵⁵ sœːŋ⁵⁵/

Idiom

六月飛霜

1. to have injustice