襄王有意，神女無心

Chinese

		assist	king; Wang (proper name)	to have a mind to; to be intentional; to have romantic interest in to have a mind to; to be intentional; to have romantic interest in; to be attached to		goddess; female prostitute	without the desire or intention; unwitting; accidentally without the desire or intention; unwitting; accidentally; inadvertently; unwittingly
trad. (襄王有意，神女無心)		襄	王	有意	，	神女	無心
simp. (襄王有意，神女无心)		襄	王	有意	，	神女	无心
Literally: “King Xiang is willing, but the goddess has no desire”.

Etymology

A story in Song Yu's Shennü Fu (《神女賦》).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiāngwáng yǒuyì, shénnǚ wúxīn

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄤ ㄨㄤˊ ㄧㄡˇ ㄧˋ , ㄕㄣˊ ㄋㄩˇ ㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄣ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiāngwáng yǒuyì, shénnǚ wúxīn
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄤ ㄨㄤˊ ㄧㄡˇ ㄧˋ , ㄕㄣˊ ㄋㄩˇ ㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siangwáng yǒuyì, shénnyǔ wúsin
    • Wade–Giles: hsiang¹-wang² yu³-i⁴, shên²-nü³ wu²-hsin¹
    • Yale: syāng-wáng yǒu-yì-, shén-nyǔ wú-syīn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiangwang yeouyih, shernneu wushin
    • Palladius: сянван юи, шэньнюй усинь (sjanvan jui, šɛnʹnjuj usinʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ wɑŋ³⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵¹ ʂən³⁵ ny²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

Idiom

襄王有意，神女無心

1. one-sided lovesickness; unrequited love