牝雞司晨
Chinese
| hen | company; control | morning; dawn; daybreak | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (牝雞司晨/牝鷄司晨) | 牝雞/牝鷄 | 司 | 晨 | |
| simp. (牝鸡司晨) | 牝鸡 | 司 | 晨 | |
| Literally: “the hen crows at daybreak”. | ||||
Etymology
Based on an ancient saying quoted in the Book of Documents (《尚書·牧誓》):
- 古人有言曰：「牝雞無晨。牝雞之晨，惟家之索。」今商王受，惟婦言是用。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: The Book of Documents, circa 7th – 4th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
- Gǔrén yǒu yán yuē: “Pìnjī wú chén. Pìnjī zhī chén, wéi jiā zhī suǒ.” Jīn Shāng wáng Shòu, wéi fùyán shì yòng. [Pinyin]
- The ancients have said, "The hen does not announce the morning. The crowing of a hen in the morning (indicates) the subversion of the family." Now Shou, King of Shang, follows only the words of his wife.
古人有言曰：「牝鸡无晨。牝鸡之晨，惟家之索。」今商王受，惟妇言是用。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: pìnjīsīchén
- Zhuyin: ㄆㄧㄣˋ ㄐㄧ ㄙ ㄔㄣˊ
- Tongyong Pinyin: pìnjisihchén
- Wade–Giles: pʻin4-chi1-ssŭ1-chʻên2
- Yale: pìn-jī-sz̄-chén
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: pinnjisychern
- Palladius: пиньцзисычэнь (pinʹczisyčɛnʹ)
- Sinological IPA (key): /pʰin⁵¹ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ sz̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰən³⁵/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)+
- Jyutping: pan5 gai1 si1 san4
- Yale: páhn gāi sī sàhn
- Cantonese Pinyin: pan5 gai1 si1 san4
- Guangdong Romanization: pen5 gei1 xi1 sen4
- Sinological IPA (key): /pʰɐn¹³ kɐi̯⁵⁵ siː⁵⁵ sɐn²¹/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)+
- Middle Chinese: bjijX|bjinX kej si dzyin|zyin
Idiom
牝雞司晨
- (figurative, derogatory) a woman usurps authority, women meddle in politics, the female wears the trousers.
- Synonym: 婦奪夫權 / 妇夺夫权