捏驚死，放驚飛

Chinese

		to pinch (with one's fingers); to knead; to make up	to startle; to be frightened; to be scared to startle; to be frightened; to be scared; alarm	to die; impassable; uncrossable to die; impassable; uncrossable; inflexible; rigid		to release; to free; to let go to release; to free; to let go; to put; to place; to let out	to startle; to be frightened; to be scared to startle; to be frightened; to be scared; alarm	to fly
trad. (捏驚死，放驚飛)		捏	驚	死	，	放	驚	飛
simp. (捏惊死，放惊飞)		捏	惊	死	，	放	惊	飞
Literally: “scared of gripping (the bird), lest it die, scared of letting (the bird) loose, lest it fly away”.

Pronunciation

• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): ni̍h-kiaⁿ-sí,pàng-kiaⁿ-pe / ni̍h-kiaⁿ-sí,pàng-kiaⁿ-per / teⁿ-kiaⁿ-sí,pàng-kiaⁿ-poe

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• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ni̍h-kiaⁿ-sí,pàng-kiaⁿ-pe
    • Tâi-lô: ni̍h-kiann-sí,pàng-kiann-pe
    • IPA (Xiamen): /nĩ(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ kiã⁴⁴⁻²² si⁵³ paŋ²¹⁻⁵³ kiã⁴⁴⁻²² pe⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ni̍h-kiaⁿ-sí,pàng-kiaⁿ-per
    • Tâi-lô: ni̍h-kiann-sí,pàng-kiann-per
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /nĩ(ʔ)²⁴⁻² kiã³³ si⁵⁵⁴ paŋ⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ kiã³³ pə³³/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: teⁿ-kiaⁿ-sí,pàng-kiaⁿ-poe
    • Tâi-lô: tenn-kiann-sí,pàng-kiann-pue
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tɛ̃⁴⁴⁻²² kiã⁴⁴⁻²² si⁵³ paŋ²¹⁻⁵³ kiã⁴⁴⁻²² pue⁴⁴/

Idiom

捏驚死，放驚飛

1. (Hokkien) to be indecisive due to worrying about personal gains and losses

Synonyms

• (Hokkien) 掠驚死，放驚飛／掠惊死，放惊飞, 捏著驚死，放咧驚飛／捏著惊死，放咧惊飞