芻狗

Chinese

		surname; cut grass; hay surname; cut grass; hay; straw; fodder	dog
trad. (芻狗)		芻	狗
simp. (刍狗)		刍	狗

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chúgǒu

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄨˊ ㄍㄡˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): co¹ gau²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chúgǒu
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄨˊ ㄍㄡˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chúgǒu
    • Wade–Giles: chʻu²-kou³
    • Yale: chú-gǒu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chwugoou
    • Palladius: чугоу (čugou)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰu³⁵ koʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: co¹ gau²
    • Yale: chō gáu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tso¹ gau²
    • Guangdong Romanization: co¹ geo²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɔː⁵⁵ kɐu̯³⁵/

Noun

芻狗

1. (archaic, literally) straw dog (sacrificial object)
2. (archaic, by extension) something discarded after use

   • 天地不仁，以萬物為芻狗；聖人不仁，以百姓為芻狗。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     天地不仁，以万物为刍狗；圣人不仁，以百姓为刍狗。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Tao Te Ching, 4^th century BCE

     Tiāndì bù rén, yǐ wànwù wèi chúgǒu; shèngrén bù rén, yǐ bǎixìng wèi chúgǒu. [Pinyin]

     Heaven and earth do not act from (the impulse of) any wish to be benevolent; they deal with all things as the dogs of grass are dealt with. The sages do not act from (any wish to be) benevolent; they deal with the people as the dogs of grass are dealt with.