沐猴而冠

Chinese

	macaque	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	to head; hat; crown to head; hat; crown; crest; cap
trad. (沐猴而冠)	沐猴	而	冠
simp. ^#(沐猴而冠)	沐猴	而	冠
Literally: “a monkey wearing a hat”.

Etymology

From the Shiji:

人或說項王曰：「關中阻山河四塞，地肥饒，可都以霸。」項王見秦宮皆以燒殘破，又心懷思欲東歸，曰：「富貴不歸故鄉，如衣繡夜行，誰知之者！」說者曰：「人言楚人沐猴而冠耳，果然。」項王聞之，烹說者。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

人或说项王曰：「关中阻山河四塞，地肥饶，可都以霸。」项王见秦宫皆以烧残破，又心怀思欲东归，曰：「富贵不归故乡，如衣绣夜行，谁知之者！」说者曰：「人言楚人沐猴而冠耳，果然。」项王闻之，烹说者。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

Rén huò shuō Xiàng wáng yuē: “Guānzhōng zǔ shānhé sìsài, dì féiráo, kě dōu yǐ bà.” Xiàng wáng jiàn Qín gōng jiē yǐ shāo cánpò, yòu xīnhuái sī yù dōng guī, yuē: “Fùguì bù guī gùxiāng, rú yī xiù yèxíng, shéi zhī zhī zhě!” Shuō zhě yuē: “Rén yán Chǔrén mùhóu ér guàn ěr, guǒrán.” Xiàng wáng wén zhī, pēng shuō zhě. [Pinyin]

Some advised Xiang Yu, "Guanzhong is protected by mountains and rivers on all sides, and the land is fertile. It is fit for founding a capital to establish your hegemony." Xiang Yu saw the Qin palace burned to rubble, and longing to return east, said, "To have gained wealth and glory and not return home is like going out at night wearing embroidered clothes. Who would even notice?" An advisor retorted, "People say the men of Chu are no more than apes dressed in caps. Sure enough, they are right." When Xiang Yu heard this, he had the advisor boiled alive.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): mùhóu'érguàn

(Zhuyin): ㄇㄨˋ ㄏㄡˊ ㄦˊ ㄍㄨㄢˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): muk⁶ hau⁴ ji⁴ gun³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: mùhóu'érguàn
  - Zhuyin: ㄇㄨˋ ㄏㄡˊ ㄦˊ ㄍㄨㄢˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: mùhóu-érguàn
  - Wade–Giles: mu⁴-hou²-êrh²-kuan⁴
  - Yale: mù-hóu-ér-gwàn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: muhhourerlguann
  - Palladius: мухоуэргуань (muxouerguanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mu⁵¹ xoʊ̯³⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ku̯än⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: muk⁶ hau⁴ ji⁴ gun³
  - Yale: muhk hàuh yìh gun
  - Cantonese Pinyin: muk⁹ hau⁴ ji⁴ gun³
  - Guangdong Romanization: mug⁶ heo⁴ yi⁴ gun³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mʊk̚² hɐu̯²¹ jiː²¹ kuːn³³/

Idiom

沐猴而冠

worthless person in imposing attire

Synonyms

沐猴冠冕 (mùhóuguànmiǎn)

Derived terms

→ Japanese: 沐(もっ)猴(こう)にして冠(かん)す (mokkō ni shite kansu)