七月流火

Chinese

		July; The modern name of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar.	to flow; to spread; to circulate to flow; to spread; to circulate; to move	fire; angry; fierce fire; angry; fierce; fiery; thriving
trad. (七月流火)		七月	流	火
simp. #(七月流火)		七月	流	火

Etymology

From the Classic of Poetry, poem 154 (《詩經·豳風·七月》):

七月流火，九月授衣。
一之日觱發，二之日栗烈。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]

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七月流火，九月授衣。
一之日觱发，二之日栗烈。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Qīyuè liú huǒ, jiǔyuè shòu yī.
Yī zhī rì bìfā, èr zhī rì lìliè. [Pinyin]

In the seventh month, the Fire Star passes the meridian; in the ninth month, clothes are given out.
In the days of [our] first month, the wind blows cold; in the days of [our] second, the air is cold.

In antiquity, Chinese astronomers saw the westerly motion of Antares, the Great Fire Star (大火), as a sign of autumn's arrival. Whether this idiom should be interpreted as referring to the current heat or the imminent cooling is a matter of constant dispute.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qīyuèliúhuǒ

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧ ㄩㄝˋ ㄌㄧㄡˊ ㄏㄨㄛˇ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qīyuèliúhuǒ
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧ ㄩㄝˋ ㄌㄧㄡˊ ㄏㄨㄛˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ciyuèlióuhuǒ
    • Wade–Giles: chʻi¹-yüeh⁴-liu²-huo³
    • Yale: chī-ywè-lyóu-hwǒ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chiyuehliouhuoo
    • Palladius: циюэлюхо (cijueljuxo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ ɥɛ⁵¹ li̯oʊ̯³⁵ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Idiom

七月流火

1. the summer heat recedes during the seventh lunar month, and the cold season becomes imminent
2. scorching heat during July