一命二運三風水，四積陰德五讀書

Chinese

		one; single; a one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)	life; fate	two	to move; to transport; to use to move; to transport; to use; to apply; fortune; luck; fate	three	wind and water; wind and water; wind and rain		four	to amass; to accumulate; to store to amass; to accumulate; to store; old; long-standing	good deed done in secret; hidden merit	five	to read books; to study
trad. (一命二運三風水，四積陰德五讀書)		一	命	二	運	三	風水	，	四	積	陰德	五	讀書
simp. (一命二运三风水，四积阴德五读书)		一	命	二	运	三	风水	，	四	积	阴德	五	读书

Etymology

First attested in the Qing dynasty novel Ernü Yingxiong Zhuan.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yī mìng èr yùn sān fēngshuǐ, sì jī yīndé wǔ dúshū

  (Zhuyin): ㄧ ㄇㄧㄥˋ ㄦˋ ㄩㄣˋ ㄙㄢ ㄈㄥ ㄕㄨㄟˇ , ㄙˋ ㄐㄧ ㄧㄣ ㄉㄜˊ ㄨˇ ㄉㄨˊ ㄕㄨ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jat¹ meng⁶ ji⁶ wan⁶ saam¹ fung¹ seoi², sei³ zik¹ jam¹ dak¹ ng⁵ duk⁶ syu¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yī mìng èr yùn sān fēngshuǐ, sì jī yīndé wǔ dúshū [Phonetic: yí mìng èr yùn sān fēngshuǐ, sì jī yīndé wǔ dúshū]
    • Zhuyin: ㄧ ㄇㄧㄥˋ ㄦˋ ㄩㄣˋ ㄙㄢ ㄈㄥ ㄕㄨㄟˇ , ㄙˋ ㄐㄧ ㄧㄣ ㄉㄜˊ ㄨˇ ㄉㄨˊ ㄕㄨ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yi mìng èr yùn san fongshuěi, sìh ji yindé wǔ dúshu
    • Wade–Giles: i¹ ming⁴ êrh⁴ yün⁴ san¹ fêng¹-shui³, ssŭ⁴ chi¹ yin¹-tê² wu³ tu²-shu¹
    • Yale: yī mìng èr yùn sān fēng-shwěi-, sz̀ jī yīn-dé wǔ dú-shū
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: i minq ell yunn san fengshoei, syh ji inder wuu dwushu
    • Palladius: и мин эр юнь сань фэншуй, сы цзи иньдэ у душу (i min er junʹ sanʹ fɛnšuj, sy czi inʹdɛ u dušu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ miŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ˀɤɻ⁵¹⁻⁵³ yn⁵¹ sän⁵⁵ fɤŋ⁵⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ sz̩⁵¹ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ in⁵⁵ tɤ³⁵ u²¹⁴⁻²¹ tu³⁵ ʂu⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jat¹ meng⁶ ji⁶ wan⁶ saam¹ fung¹ seoi², sei³ zik¹ jam¹ dak¹ ng⁵ duk⁶ syu¹
    • Yale: yāt mehng yih wahn sāam fūng séui, sei jīk yām dāk ńgh duhk syū
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jat⁷ meng⁶ ji⁶ wan⁶ saam¹ fung¹ soey², sei³ dzik⁷ jam¹ dak⁷ ng⁵ duk⁹ sy¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yed¹ méng⁶ yi⁶ wen⁶ sam¹ fung¹ sêu², séi³ jig¹ yem¹ deg¹ ng⁵ dug⁶ xu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐt̚⁵ mɛːŋ²² jiː²² wɐn²² saːm⁵⁵ fʊŋ⁵⁵ sɵy̯³⁵ sei̯³³ t͡sɪk̚⁵ jɐm⁵⁵ tɐk̚⁵ ŋ̍¹³ tʊk̚² syː⁵⁵/

Proverb

一命二運三風水，四積陰德五讀書

1. the main factors determining one's life are, in decreasing order of importance, destiny, luck, feng shui, doing good deeds and education