驚弓之鳥

See also: 惊弓之鸟

Chinese

		to startle; to be frightened; to be scared to startle; to be frightened; to be scared; alarm	a bow (weapon)	's; him/her/it; this	bird
trad. (驚弓之鳥)		驚	弓	之	鳥
simp. (惊弓之鸟)		惊	弓	之	鸟
Literally: “a bird frightened by [the mere sound of] a bow [that shoots arrows]”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jīnggōngzhīniǎo

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄥ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄓ ㄋㄧㄠˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ging¹ gung¹ zi¹ niu⁵

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jīnggōngzhīniǎo
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄥ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄓ ㄋㄧㄠˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jinggongjhihniǎo
    • Wade–Giles: ching¹-kung¹-chih¹-niao³
    • Yale: jīng-gūng-jr̄-nyǎu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jinggongjyneau
    • Palladius: цзингунчжиняо (czingunčžinjao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ni̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ging¹ gung¹ zi¹ niu⁵
    • Yale: gīng gūng jī níuh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ging¹ gung¹ dzi¹ niu⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: ging¹ gung¹ ji¹ niu⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɪŋ⁵⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ niːu̯¹³/

Idiom

驚弓之鳥

1. panic-stricken person; someone who is easily frightened due to past experiences of attack or shock