牛就是牛，牽到北京也是牛

Chinese

		ox; cow; bull	at once; then; right away at once; then; right away; only; (emphasis); to approach; to move towards; to undertake	be; yes; this	ox; cow; bull		lead along	to (a place); until (a time); up to to (a place); until (a time); up to; to go; to arrive	northern capital; Beijing	also; too	be; yes; this	ox; cow; bull
trad. (牛就是牛，牽到北京也是牛)		牛	就	是	牛	，	牽	到	北京	也	是	牛
simp. (牛就是牛，牵到北京也是牛)		牛	就	是	牛	，	牵	到	北京	也	是	牛
Literally: “An ox is an ox, even if it is brought to Beijing”.

Alternative forms

• 牛牽到北京也是牛／牛牵到北京也是牛

Pronunciation

• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): gû tō sī gû, khan kàu Pak-kiaⁿ iā sī gû

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• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: gû tō sī gû, khan kàu Pak-kiaⁿ iā sī gû
    • Tâi-lô: gû tō sī gû, khan kàu Pak-kiann iā sī gû
    • IPA (Xiamen): /ɡu²⁴ to²²⁻²¹ si²²⁻²¹ ɡu²⁴ kʰan⁴⁴⁻²² kau²¹ pak̚³²⁻⁴ kiã⁴⁴ ia²²⁻²¹ si²²⁻²¹ ɡu²⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ɡu²⁴ to⁴¹⁻²² si⁴¹⁻²² ɡu²⁴ kʰan³³ kau⁴¹ pak̚⁵⁻²⁴ kiã³³ ia⁴¹⁻²² si⁴¹⁻²² ɡu²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ɡu¹³ to²²⁻²¹ si²²⁻²¹ ɡu¹³ kʰan⁴⁴⁻²² kau²¹ pak̚³²⁻⁵ kiã⁴⁴ ia²²⁻²¹ si²²⁻²¹ ɡu¹³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /ɡu²⁴ to³³⁻¹¹ si³³⁻¹¹ ɡu²⁴ kʰan⁴⁴⁻³³ kau¹¹ pak̚³²⁻⁴ kiã⁴⁴ ia³³⁻¹¹ si³³⁻¹¹ ɡu²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɡu²³ tɤ³³⁻²¹ si³³⁻²¹ ɡu²³ kʰan⁴⁴⁻³³ kau²¹ pak̚³²⁻⁴ kiã⁴⁴ ia³³⁻²¹ si³³⁻²¹ ɡu²³/

Proverb

牛就是牛，牽到北京也是牛

1. (Hokkien) a leopard can't change its spots

Synonyms

• 江山易改，本性難移／江山易改，本性难移 (jiāngshān yì gǎi, běnxìng nán yí)

Further reading

• “Entry #26960”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2023.