萬事俱備，只欠東風

Chinese

		all; everything	complete		only; merely; just only; merely; just; but	deficient; owe; to lack deficient; owe; to lack; yawn	easterly; spring wind
trad. (萬事俱備，只欠東風)		萬事	俱備	，	只	欠	東風
simp. (万事俱备，只欠东风)		万事	俱备	，	只	欠	东风
Literally: “All things are ready except for the easternly wind.”

Etymology

From the Romance of Three Kingdoms:

孔明索紙筆，屏退左右，密書十六字曰：「欲破曹公，宜用火攻；萬事俱備，只欠東風。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]

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孔明索纸笔，屏退左右，密书十六字曰：「欲破曹公，宜用火攻；万事俱备，只欠东风。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

From: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14^th century CE

Kǒngmíng suǒ zhǐbǐ, píngtuì zuǒyòu, mì shū shíliù zì yuē: “Yù pò Cáo gōng, yí yòng huǒgōng; wànshì jù bèi, zhǐ qiàn dōngfēng.” [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wànshì jùbèi, zhǐ qiàn dōngfēng

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄢˋ ㄕˋ ㄐㄩˋ ㄅㄟˋ , ㄓˇ ㄑㄧㄢˋ ㄉㄨㄥ ㄈㄥ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): maan⁶ si⁶ keoi¹ bei⁶, zi² him³ dung¹ fung¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wànshì jùbèi, zhǐ qiàn dōngfēng
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄢˋ ㄕˋ ㄐㄩˋ ㄅㄟˋ , ㄓˇ ㄑㄧㄢˋ ㄉㄨㄥ ㄈㄥ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wànshìh jyùbèi, jhǐh ciàn dongfong
    • Wade–Giles: wan⁴-shih⁴ chü⁴-pei⁴, chih³ chʻien⁴ tung¹-fêng¹
    • Yale: wàn-shr̀ jyù-bèi-, jř chyàn dūng-fēng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wannshyh jiuhbey, jyy chiann dongfeng
    • Palladius: ваньши цзюйбэй, чжи цянь дунфэн (vanʹši czjujbɛj, čži cjanʹ dunfɛn)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕy⁵¹⁻⁵³ peɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵¹ tʊŋ⁵⁵ fɤŋ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: maan⁶ si⁶ keoi¹ bei⁶, zi² him³ dung¹ fung¹
    • Yale: maahn sih kēui beih, jí him dūng fūng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: maan⁶ si⁶ koey¹ bei⁶, dzi² him³ dung¹ fung¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: man⁶ xi⁶ kêu¹ béi⁶, ji² him³ dung¹ fung¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /maːn²² siː²² kʰɵy̯⁵⁵ pei̯²² t͡siː³⁵ hiːm³³ tʊŋ⁵⁵ fʊŋ⁵⁵/

Idiom

萬事俱備，只欠東風

1. Everything is ready except for one last crucial item.