難兄難弟

Chinese

Etymology 1

		difficult; hard	elder brother	difficult; hard	younger brother
trad. (難兄難弟)		難	兄	難	弟
simp. (难兄难弟)		难	兄	难	弟

Based on a tale in A New Account of the Tales of the World:

陳元方子長文有英才，與季方子孝先，各論其父功德，爭之不能決，咨於太丘。太丘曰：「元方難為兄，季方難為弟。」 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

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陈元方子长文有英才，与季方子孝先，各论其父功德，争之不能决，咨于太丘。太丘曰：「元方难为兄，季方难为弟。」 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: Liu Yiqing (editor), A New Account of the Tales of the World, 5^th century CE

Chén Yuánfāng zǐ Chángwén yǒu yīngcái, yǔ Jìfāng zǐ Xiàoxiān, gè lùn qí fù gōngdé, zhēng zhī bùnéng jué, zī yú Tàiqiū. Tàiqiū yuē: “Yuánfāng nán wéi xiōng, Jìfāng nán wéi dì.” [Pinyin]

The talented son of Yuanfang (Chen Ji), Changwen (Chen Qun), argued with the son of Jifang (Chen Chen), Xiaoxian (Chen Zhong), about the merits and virtues of their fathers. Unable to settle their argument, they consulted Taiqiu (Chen Shi, mayor of Taiqiu County). Taiqiu said, "Jifang is too outstanding for Yuanfang to be his elder brother, and Yuanfang is too outstanding for Jifang to be his younger brother."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): nánxiōngnándì

  (Zhuyin): ㄋㄢˊ ㄒㄩㄥ ㄋㄢˊ ㄉㄧˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): naan⁴ hing¹ naan⁴ dai⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: nánxiōngnándì
    • Zhuyin: ㄋㄢˊ ㄒㄩㄥ ㄋㄢˊ ㄉㄧˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: nánsyongnándì
    • Wade–Giles: nan²-hsiung¹-nan²-ti⁴
    • Yale: nán-syūng-nán-dì
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: nanshiongnandih
    • Palladius: наньсюннаньди (nanʹsjunnanʹdi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /nän³⁵ ɕi̯ʊŋ⁵⁵ nän³⁵ ti⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: naan⁴ hing¹ naan⁴ dai⁶
    • Yale: nàahn hīng nàahn daih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: naan⁴ hing¹ naan⁴ dai⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: nan⁴ hing¹ nan⁴ dei⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /naːn²¹ hɪŋ⁵⁵ naːn²¹ tɐi̯²²/

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• Middle Chinese: nan xjwaeng nan dejX|dejH

Rime
Character	難	兄	弟	弟
Reading #	1/2	1/1	1/2	2/2
Initial (聲)	泥 (8)	曉 (32)	定 (7)	定 (7)
Final (韻)	寒 (61)	庚 (112)	齊 (39)	齊 (39)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Rising (X)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Closed	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	III	IV	IV
Fanqie	那干切	許榮切	徒禮切	特計切
Baxter	nan	xjwaeng	dejX	dejH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/nɑn/	/hˠwiæŋ/	/deiX/	/deiH/
Pan Wuyun	/nɑn/	/hʷᵚiaŋ/	/deiX/	/deiH/
Shao Rongfen	/nɑn/	/xiuaŋ/	/dɛiX/	/dɛiH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/nan/	/hwiajŋ/	/dɛjX/	/dɛjH/
Li Rong	/nɑn/	/xiuɐŋ/	/deiX/	/deiH/
Wang Li	/nɑn/	/xĭwɐŋ/	/dieiX/	/dieiH/
Bernard Karlgren	/nɑn/	/xi̯wɐŋ/	/dʱieiX/	/dʱieiH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	nán	xiōng	dì	dì
Expected Cantonese Reflex	naan4	hing1	dai6	dai6

Idiom

難兄難弟

1. hard to tell who is better; to be as good; equally-matched two
2. (ironic) of the same ilk; to be both bad

Synonyms

• 難弟難兄／难弟难兄
• 元方季方

Etymology 2

		disaster	elder brother	disaster	younger brother
trad. (難兄難弟)		難	兄	難	弟
simp. (难兄难弟)		难	兄	难	弟

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): nànxiōngnàndì

  (Zhuyin): ㄋㄢˋ ㄒㄩㄥ ㄋㄢˋ ㄉㄧˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): naan⁶ hing¹ naan⁶ dai⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: nànxiōngnàndì
    • Zhuyin: ㄋㄢˋ ㄒㄩㄥ ㄋㄢˋ ㄉㄧˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: nànsyongnàndì
    • Wade–Giles: nan⁴-hsiung¹-nan⁴-ti⁴
    • Yale: nàn-syūng-nàn-dì
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: nannshiongnanndih
    • Palladius: наньсюннаньди (nanʹsjunnanʹdi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /nän⁵¹ ɕi̯ʊŋ⁵⁵ nän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ti⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: naan⁶ hing¹ naan⁶ dai⁶
    • Yale: naahn hīng naahn daih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: naan⁶ hing¹ naan⁶ dai⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: nan⁶ hing¹ nan⁶ dei⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /naːn²² hɪŋ⁵⁵ naːn²² tɐi̯²²/

Idiom

難兄難弟

1. fellow sufferers; in the same boat

Synonyms

• 患難之交／患难之交 (huànnànzhījiāo)