霸王硬上弓

Chinese

		Xiang Yu	hard; stiff; strong hard; stiff; strong; firm	up; on; on top up; on; on top; upon; first; previous or last; upper; higher; above; previous; to climb; to go into; to go up	a bow (weapon)
trad. (霸王硬上弓)		霸王	硬	上	弓
simp. #(霸王硬上弓)		霸王	硬	上	弓
Literally: “Xiang Yu (the overlord) attaches the bowstring”.

Etymology

It is said that the mighty leader Xiang Yu could bend a bow and attach the string with only one hand.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bàwáng yìng shàng gōng

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄚˋ ㄨㄤˊ ㄧㄥˋ ㄕㄤˋ ㄍㄨㄥ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): baa³ wong⁴ ngaang⁶ soeng⁵ gung¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bàwáng yìng shàng gōng
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄚˋ ㄨㄤˊ ㄧㄥˋ ㄕㄤˋ ㄍㄨㄥ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bàwáng yìng shàng gong
    • Wade–Giles: pa⁴-wang² ying⁴ shang⁴ kung¹
    • Yale: bà-wáng yìng shàng gūng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: bahwang yinq shanq gong
    • Palladius: баван ин шан гун (bavan in šan gun)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pä⁵¹ wɑŋ³⁵ iŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂɑŋ⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: baa³ wong⁴ ngaang⁶ soeng⁵ gung¹
    • Yale: ba wòhng ngaahng séuhng gūng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: baa³ wong⁴ ngaang⁶ soeng⁵ gung¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: ba³ wong⁴ ngang⁶ sêng⁵ gung¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /paː³³ wɔːŋ²¹ ŋaːŋ²² sœːŋ¹³ kʊŋ⁵⁵/

Idiom

霸王硬上弓

1. (figurative) to do something by force
2. (euphemistic) to force oneself upon; to rape