不可望其項背

Chinese

		cannot; should not; must not	can see the neck and back of somebody ahead; to get within a little distance of somebody; to be a match for somebody can see the neck and back of somebody ahead; to get within a little distance of somebody; to be a match for somebody; to stand comparison with somebody
trad. (不可望其項背)		不可	望其項背
simp. (不可望其项背)		不可	望其项背

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bùkě wàngqíxiàngbèi

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄨㄤˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄒㄧㄤˋ ㄅㄟˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): bat¹ ho² mong⁶ kei⁴ hong⁶ bui³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bùkě wàngqíxiàngbèi
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄨㄤˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄒㄧㄤˋ ㄅㄟˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bùkě wàngcísiàngbèi
    • Wade–Giles: pu⁴-kʻo³ wang⁴-chʻi²-hsiang⁴-pei⁴
    • Yale: bù-kě wàng-chí-syàng-bèi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: bukee wanqchyishianqbey
    • Palladius: букэ ванцисянбэй (bukɛ vancisjanbɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ wɑŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ peɪ̯⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: bat¹ ho² mong⁶ kei⁴ hong⁶ bui³
    • Yale: bāt hó mohng kèih hohng bui
    • Cantonese Pinyin: bat⁷ ho² mong⁶ kei⁴ hong⁶ bui³
    • Guangdong Romanization: bed¹ ho² mong⁶ kéi⁴ hong⁶ bui³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ mɔːŋ²² kʰei̯²¹ hɔːŋ²² puːi̯³³/

Idiom

不可望其項背

1. not in the same class; cannot or not be fit to hold a candle to somebody; incomparable