叫天天不應，叫地地不靈

See also: 叫天天不应，叫地地不灵

Chinese

		to call; to yell; to be called to call; to yell; to be called; to order	day; sky; heaven	day; sky; heaven			to call; to yell; to be called to call; to yell; to be called; to order	earth; ground; field earth; ground; field; place; land; (subor. part. adverbial); ‑ly	earth; ground; field earth; ground; field; place; land; (subor. part. adverbial); ‑ly
trad. (叫天天不應，叫地地不靈)		叫	天	天	不應	，	叫	地	地	不靈
simp. (叫天天不应，叫地地不灵)		叫	天	天	不应	，	叫	地	地	不灵

Etymology

Literally: Cry out to the heavens, but the heavens don't respond. Cry out to the earth, but the earth is impervious.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jiào tiān tiān bù yìng, jiào dì dì bù líng

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄠˋ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄥˋ , ㄐㄧㄠˋ ㄉㄧˋ ㄉㄧˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄧㄥˊ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jiào tiān tiān bù yìng, jiào dì dì bù líng [Phonetic: jiào tiān tiān bú yìng, jiào dì dì bù líng]
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄠˋ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄥˋ , ㄐㄧㄠˋ ㄉㄧˋ ㄉㄧˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄧㄥˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jiào tian tian bù yìng, jiào dì dì bù líng
    • Wade–Giles: chiao⁴ tʻien¹ tʻien¹ pu⁴ ying⁴, chiao⁴ ti⁴ ti⁴ pu⁴ ling²
    • Yale: jyàu tyān tyān bù yìng-, jyàu dì dì bù líng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiaw tian tian bu yinq, jiaw dih dih bu ling
    • Palladius: цзяо тянь тянь бу ин, цзяо ди ди бу лин (czjao tjanʹ tjanʹ bu in, czjao di di bu lin)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ iŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ti⁵¹⁻⁵³ ti⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ liŋ³⁵/

Idiom

叫天天不應，叫地地不靈

1. to be up the creek without a paddle; to be without any aid