初出茅廬

Chinese

		initial; first; beginning initial; first; beginning; junior; basic	to go out; to come out; to occur to go out; to come out; to occur; to produce; to go beyond; to rise; to put forth; to happen; (a measure word for dramas, plays, or operas)	thatched cottage; shabby house
trad. (初出茅廬)		初	出	茅廬
simp. (初出茅庐)		初	出	茅庐

Etymology

From Romance of the Three Kingdoms:

博望相持用火攻，指揮如意笑談中。直須驚破曹公膽，初出茅廬第一功！ [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]

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博望相持用火攻，指挥如意笑谈中。直须惊破曹公胆，初出茅庐第一功！ [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

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

Bówàng xiàngchí yòng huǒ gōng, zhǐhuī rúyì xiàotán zhōng. Zhíxū jīngpò Cáo gōng dǎn, chūchūmáolú dìyī gōng! [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chūchūmáolú

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄨ ㄔㄨ ㄇㄠˊ ㄌㄨˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): co¹ ceot¹ maau⁴ lou⁴
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): chhû-chhut-màu-lù
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): chho͘-chhut-mâu-lû

  (Teochew, Peng'im): co¹ cug⁴ mao⁵ lou⁵

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chūchūmáolú
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄨ ㄔㄨ ㄇㄠˊ ㄌㄨˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chuchumáolú
    • Wade–Giles: chʻu¹-chʻu¹-mao²-lu²
    • Yale: chū-chū-máu-lú
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chuchumaulu
    • Palladius: чучумаолу (čučumaolu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ mɑʊ̯³⁵ lu³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: co¹ ceot¹ maau⁴ lou⁴
    • Yale: chō chēut màauh lòuh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tso¹ tsoet⁷ maau⁴ lou⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: co¹ cêd¹ mao⁴ lou⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɔː⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ maːu̯²¹ lou̯²¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhû-chhut-màu-lù
    • Hakka Romanization System: cu^ˊ cud^ˋ mau^ˇ lu^ˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: cu¹ cud⁵ mau² lu²
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰu²⁴ t͡sʰut̚² mau̯¹¹ lu¹¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chho͘-chhut-mâu-lû
    • Tâi-lô: tshoo-tshut-mâu-lû
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhozhutmauluu
    • IPA (Xiamen): /t͡sʰɔ⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰut̚³²⁻⁴ mãu²⁴⁻²² lu²⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: co¹ cug⁴ mao⁵ lou⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsho tshuk mâu lôu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰo³³⁻²³ t͡sʰuk̚²⁻⁴ mau⁵⁵⁻¹¹ lou⁵⁵/

Idiom

初出茅廬

1. to have just begun one's career without any experience