如影隨形

Chinese

		as (if); such as	picture; image; reflection picture; image; reflection; shadow	to follow; to comply with; to allow to follow; to comply with; to allow; surname	to appear; to look; form to appear; to look; form; shape
trad. (如影隨形)		如	影	隨	形
simp. (如影随形)		如	影	随	形
Literally: “as the shadow follows the substance”.

Etymology

From a line in Liezi.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): rúyǐngsuíxíng

  (Zhuyin): ㄖㄨˊ ㄧㄥˇ ㄙㄨㄟˊ ㄒㄧㄥˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jyu⁴ jing² ceoi⁴ jing⁴
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): jî-éng-sûi-hêng

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: rúyǐngsuíxíng
    • Zhuyin: ㄖㄨˊ ㄧㄥˇ ㄙㄨㄟˊ ㄒㄧㄥˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: rúyǐngsuéisíng
    • Wade–Giles: ju²-ying³-sui²-hsing²
    • Yale: rú-yǐng-swéi-syíng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ruyiingsweishyng
    • Palladius: жуинсуйсин (žuinsujsin)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʐu³⁵ iŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ su̯eɪ̯³⁵ ɕiŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jyu⁴ jing² ceoi⁴ jing⁴
    • Yale: yùh yíng chèuih yìhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jy⁴ jing² tsoey⁴ jing⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: yu⁴ ying² cêu⁴ ying⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jyː²¹ jɪŋ³⁵ t͡sʰɵy̯²¹ jɪŋ²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: jî-éng-sûi-hêng
    • Tâi-lô: jî-íng-suî-hîng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ji'efngsui'heeng
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /d͡zi¹³⁻²² iɪŋ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ sui¹³⁻²² hiɪŋ¹³/

Idiom

如影隨形

1. closely associated with each other; inseparable

See also

• Thai: เงาตามตัว