憐香惜玉

Chinese

FWOTD – 7 August 2025

		to pity	fragrant; incense; (of food) savoury fragrant; incense; (of food) savoury; appetizing; sweet; scented; popular	pity; regret; rue pity; regret; rue; begrudge	jade
trad. (憐香惜玉)		憐	香	惜	玉
simp. (怜香惜玉)		怜	香	惜	玉

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): liánxiāngxīyù, liánxiāngxíyù

(Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄤㄒㄧㄩˋ, ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄤㄒㄧˊ ㄩˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): lin⁴ hoeng¹ sik¹ juk⁶ / lin⁴ hoeng¹ sik¹ juk^6-2
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): lîn-hiong-sioh-gio̍k / liân-hiong-sioh-gio̍k

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, Mainland)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: liánxiāngxīyù
  - Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄤㄒㄧㄩˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: liánsiangsiyù
  - Wade–Giles: lien²-hsiang¹-hsi¹-yü⁴
  - Yale: lyán-syāng-syī-yù
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lianshiangshiyuh
  - Palladius: ляньсянсиюй (ljanʹsjansijuj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /li̯ɛn³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ɕi⁵⁵ y⁵¹/
- (Standard Chinese, Taiwan)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: liánxiāngxíyù
  - Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄤㄒㄧˊ ㄩˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: liánsiangsíyù
  - Wade–Giles: lien²-hsiang¹-hsi²-yü⁴
  - Yale: lyán-syāng-syí-yù
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lianshiangshyiyuh
  - Palladius: ляньсянсиюй (ljanʹsjansijuj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /li̯ɛn³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ɕi³⁵ y⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)⁺
  - Jyutping: lin⁴ hoeng¹ sik¹ juk⁶ / lin⁴ hoeng¹ sik¹ juk^6-2
  - Yale: lìhn hēung sīk yuhk / lìhn hēung sīk yúk
  - Cantonese Pinyin: lin⁴ hoeng¹ sik⁷ juk⁹ / lin⁴ hoeng¹ sik⁷ juk^9-2
  - Guangdong Romanization: lin⁴ hêng¹ xig¹ yug⁶ / lin⁴ hêng¹ xig¹ yug^6-2
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /liːn²¹ hœːŋ⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵ jʊk̚²/, /liːn²¹ hœːŋ⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵ jʊk̚²⁻³⁵/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lîn-hiong-sioh-gio̍k
  - Tâi-lô: lîn-hiong-sioh-gio̍k
  - Phofsit Daibuun: linhiongsioihgiok
  - IPA (Taipei): /lin²⁴⁻¹¹ hiɔŋ⁴⁴ sio(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ ɡiɔk̚⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /lin²³⁻³³ hiɔŋ⁴⁴ siɤ(ʔ)³²⁻⁴¹ ɡiɔk̚⁴/
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: liân-hiong-sioh-gio̍k
  - Tâi-lô: liân-hiong-sioh-gio̍k
  - Phofsit Daibuun: lienhiongsioihgiok
  - IPA (Taipei): /liɛn²⁴⁻¹¹ hiɔŋ⁴⁴ sio(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ ɡiɔk̚⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /liɛn²³⁻³³ hiɔŋ⁴⁴ siɤ(ʔ)³²⁻⁴¹ ɡiɔk̚⁴/

Idiom

憐香惜玉

to have tender, protective feelings for women.
Synonyms: 惜香憐玉 / 惜香怜玉, 惜玉憐香 / 惜玉怜香
- 「死到臨頭，自身難保，居然尚有憐香惜玉之心。」 [MSC, trad.]
  「死到临头，自身难保，居然尚有怜香惜玉之心。」 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 1966, Jin Yong, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, Chapter 11
  “Sǐdàolíntóu, zìshēnnánbǎo, jūrán shàng yǒu liánxiāngxīyù zhī xīn.” [Pinyin]
  "You're going to die soon, it's difficult for you to protect yourself, but you still set your mind on treating these girls tenderly and protectively!"