相濡以沫
Chinese
each other; appearance; portrait each other; appearance; portrait; picture; one another; mutually |
dilatory; to moisten | to use; according to; so as to to use; according to; so as to; in order to; by; with; because; Israel (abbrev.) |
foam; suds | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
trad. (相濡以沫) | 相 | 濡 | 以 | 沫 | |
simp. #(相濡以沫) | 相 | 濡 | 以 | 沫 | |
Literally: “to moisten each other with spittle”. |
Etymology
From Zhuangzi [ca. 3rd – 2nd centuries BCE]:
- 泉涸,魚相與處於陸,相呴以溼,相濡以沫,不如相忘於江湖。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: Zhuangzi, circa 3rd – 2nd centuries BCE
- Quán hé, yú xiāngyǔ chǔ yú lù, xiāng xǔ yǐ shī, xiāng rú yǐ mò, bùrú xiāngwàng yú jiānghú. [Pinyin]
- When the springs are dried up, the fishes collect together on the land. Than that they should moisten one another there by the damp about them, and keep one another wet by their slime, it would be better for them to forget one another in the rivers and lakes.
泉涸,鱼相与处于陆,相呴以湿,相濡以沫,不如相忘于江湖。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin:
- Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄤ ㄖㄨˊ ㄧˇ ㄇㄛˋ
- Tongyong Pinyin: siangrúyǐmò
- Wade–Giles: hsiang1-ju2-i3-mo4
- Yale: syāng-rú-yǐ-mwò
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiangruyiimoh
- Palladius: сянжуимо (sjanžuimo)
- Sinological IPA (key): /ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʐu³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ mu̯ɔ⁵¹/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: soeng1 jyu4 ji5 mut6
- Yale: sēung yùh yíh muht
- Cantonese Pinyin: soeng1 jy4 ji5 mut9
- Guangdong Romanization: sêng1 yu4 yi5 mud6
- Sinological IPA (key): /sœːŋ⁵⁵ jyː²¹ jiː¹³ muːt̚²/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Middle Chinese: sjang nyu yiX mat
- Old Chinese
- (Baxter–Sagart): /*[s]aŋ no ləʔ mˤat/
- (Zhengzhang): /*slaŋ njo lɯʔ maːd/
Idiom
(deprecated template usage) 相濡以沫
- (figurative) to help each other pull through a crisis; mutual help when both are in humble situations
- (figurative, of a loving couple) to accompany each other through times of prosperity and hardships till the end of time