豬毋大，大對狗去

Chinese

		hog; pig; swine	no; not	big; great; huge big; great; huge; large; major; wide; deep; oldest; eldest; doctor		big; great; huge big; great; huge; large; major; wide; deep; oldest; eldest; doctor	couple; pair; to be opposite couple; pair; to be opposite; to oppose; to face; for; to; correct (answer); to answer; to reply; to direct (towards sth); right	dog	to go; to leave; to remove
trad. (豬毋大，大對狗去)		豬	毋	大	，	大	對	狗	去
simp. (猪毋大，大对狗去)		猪	毋	大	，	大	对	狗	去
Literally: “the pig is not getting big (fattening up), while the dog is getting big (fattening up)”.

Pronunciation

• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): ti m̄ tōa, tōa tùi káu khì

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• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ti m̄ tōa, tōa tùi káu khì
    • Tâi-lô: ti m̄ tuā, tuā tuì káu khì
    • IPA (Xiamen): /ti⁴⁴⁻²² m̩²²⁻²¹ tua²² tua²²⁻²¹ tui²¹⁻⁵³ kau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kʰi²¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ti³³ m̩⁴¹⁻²² tua⁴¹ tua⁴¹⁻²² tui⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ kau⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ kʰi⁴¹/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ti⁴⁴⁻²² m̩²²⁻²¹ tua²² tua²²⁻²¹ tui²¹⁻⁵³ kau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kʰi²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /ti⁴⁴⁻³³ m̩³³⁻¹¹ tua³³ tua³³⁻¹¹ tui¹¹⁻⁵³ kau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kʰi¹¹/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ti⁴⁴⁻³³ m̩³³⁻²¹ tua³³ tua³³⁻²¹ tui²¹⁻⁴¹ kau⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ kʰi²¹/

Idiom

豬毋大，大對狗去

1. (Taiwan, Southern Min) used to describe a situation where something ideal is not achieved but is achieved instead by someone else in an undesirable manner

Further reading

• “Entry #27189”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2023.