螳臂當車

Chinese

		praying mantis	arm	to act as; represent; equal to act as; represent; equal; should; fitting; suitable; adequate; proper; replace; to be; to hold a position; manage; withstand; when; during; ought; match equally; same; obstruct; just at (a time or place); on the spot; right; just at	vehicle on land; car; machine vehicle on land; car; machine; to shape with a lathe
trad. (螳臂當車)		螳	臂	當	車
simp. (螳臂当车)		螳	臂	当	车
alternative forms		螳臂擋車／螳臂挡车
Literally: “a mantis trying to stop a vehicle with its foreleg”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): tángbìdāngchē, tángbìdǎngchē

  (Zhuyin): ㄊㄤˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄉㄤ ㄔㄜ, ㄊㄤˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄉㄤˇ ㄔㄜ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): tong⁴ bei³ dong² geoi¹
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): tông-pì-tong-ki / tông-pì-tong-ku

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland and Taiwan)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: tángbìdāngchē
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄤˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄉㄤ ㄔㄜ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: tángbìdangche
    • Wade–Giles: tʻang²-pi⁴-tang¹-chʻê¹
    • Yale: táng-bì-dāng-chē
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tarngbihdangche
    • Palladius: танбиданчэ (tanbidančɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰɑŋ³⁵ pi⁵¹ tɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤ⁵⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, variant)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: tángbìdǎngchē
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄤˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄉㄤˇ ㄔㄜ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: tángbìdǎngche
    • Wade–Giles: tʻang²-pi⁴-tang³-chʻê¹
    • Yale: táng-bì-dǎng-chē
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tarngbihdaangche
    • Palladius: танбиданчэ (tanbidančɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰɑŋ³⁵ pi⁵¹ tɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: tong⁴ bei³ dong² geoi¹
    • Yale: tòhng bei dóng gēui
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tong⁴ bei³ dong² goey¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: tong⁴ béi³ dong² gêu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰɔːŋ²¹ pei̯³³ tɔːŋ³⁵ kɵy̯⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tông-pì-tong-ki / tông-pì-tong-ku
    • Tâi-lô: tông-pì-tong-ki / tông-pì-tong-ku
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dongpie'dongky, dongpie'dongkw
    • IPA (Xiamen): /tɔŋ²⁴⁻²² pi²¹⁻⁵³ tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² ki⁴⁴/, /tɔŋ²⁴⁻²² pi²¹⁻⁵³ tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² ku⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tɔŋ²⁴⁻²² pi⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ tɔŋ³³ ki³³/, /tɔŋ²⁴⁻²² pi⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ tɔŋ³³ ku³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tɔŋ¹³⁻²² pi²¹⁻⁵³ tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² ki⁴⁴/, /tɔŋ¹³⁻²² pi²¹⁻⁵³ tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² ku⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /tɔŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ pi¹¹⁻⁵³ tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ ki⁴⁴/, /tɔŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ pi¹¹⁻⁵³ tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ ku⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tɔŋ²³⁻³³ pi²¹⁻⁴¹ tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ ki⁴⁴/, /tɔŋ²³⁻³³ pi²¹⁻⁴¹ tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ ku⁴⁴/

Idiom

(deprecated template usage) 螳臂當車

1. (figurative) to overrate oneself and attempt something impossible

Synonyms

• 夸父逐日 (kuāfùzhúrì)