只許州官放火，不許百姓點燈

See also: 只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯

Chinese

		only; merely; just only; merely; just; but	to allow; to permit; to praise to allow; to permit; to praise; surname		to set on fire, specifically to commit arson		to not allow; can't	hundred surnames; the common people; the masses hundred surnames; the common people; the masses; ordinary citizens; all kinds of government officials	to light a lamp
trad. (只許州官放火，不許百姓點燈)		只	許	州官	放火	，	不許	百姓	點燈
simp. (只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯)		只	许	州官	放火	，	不许	百姓	点灯

Etymology

Literally: to only allow the prefectural official to set fires, but not allow the common citizens to light their lamps

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhǐ xǔ zhōuguān fànghuǒ, bùxǔ bǎixìng diǎndēng

  (Zhuyin): ㄓˇ ㄒㄩˇ ㄓㄡ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄈㄤˋ ㄏㄨㄛˇ , ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄩˇ ㄅㄞˇ ㄒㄧㄥˋ ㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄉㄥ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zi² heoi² zau¹ gun¹ fong³ fo², bat¹ heoi² baak³ sing³ dim² dang¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhǐ xǔ zhōuguān fànghuǒ, bùxǔ bǎixìng diǎndēng [Phonetic: zhíxǔzhōuguānfànghuǒ,bùxúbǎixìngdiǎndēng]
    • Zhuyin: ㄓˇ ㄒㄩˇ ㄓㄡ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄈㄤˋ ㄏㄨㄛˇ , ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄩˇ ㄅㄞˇ ㄒㄧㄥˋ ㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄉㄥ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhǐh syǔ jhouguan fànghuǒ, bùsyǔ bǎisìng diǎndeng
    • Wade–Giles: chih³ hsü³ chou¹-kuan¹ fang⁴-huo³, pu⁴-hsü³ pai³-hsing⁴ tien³-têng¹
    • Yale: jř syǔ jōu-gwān fàng-hwǒ-, bù-syǔ bǎi-syìng dyǎn-dēng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyy sheu jouguan fanqhuoo, busheu baeshinq deandeng
    • Palladius: чжи сюй чжоугуань фанхо, бусюй байсин дяньдэн (čži sjuj čžouguanʹ fanxo, busjuj bajsin djanʹdɛn)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ɕy²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂoʊ̯⁵⁵ ku̯än⁵⁵ fɑŋ⁵¹ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ ɕy²¹⁴⁻³⁵ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕiŋ⁵¹ ti̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ tɤŋ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zi² heoi² zau¹ gun¹ fong³ fo², bat¹ heoi² baak³ sing³ dim² dang¹
    • Yale: jí héui jāu gūn fong fó, bāt héui baak sing dím dāng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzi² hoey² dzau¹ gun¹ fong³ fo², bat⁷ hoey² baak⁸ sing³ dim² dang¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: ji² hêu² zeo¹ gun¹ fong³ fo², bed¹ hêu² bag³ xing³ dim² deng¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siː³⁵ hɵy̯³⁵ t͡sɐu̯⁵⁵ kuːn⁵⁵ fɔːŋ³³ fɔː³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ hɵy̯³⁵ paːk̚³ sɪŋ³³ tiːm³⁵ tɐŋ⁵⁵/

Idiom

(deprecated template usage) 只許州官放火，不許百姓點燈

1. a tyrant boss or leader can do whatever he likes, but the common people are not allowed the slightest bit of freedom