三頭六臂

Chinese

	three	head; (noun suffix)	six	arm
trad. (三頭六臂)	三	頭	六	臂
simp. (三头六臂)	三	头	六	臂
Literally: “three heads and six arms”.

Etymology

Originally describing the appearance of the mythological figure Nezha.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): sāntóuliùbì

(Zhuyin): ㄙㄢㄊㄡˊ ㄌㄧㄡˋ ㄅㄧˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): saam¹ tau⁴ luk⁶ bei³
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): sam-thô͘-lio̍k-pì / sam-thiô-lio̍k-pì / sam-thâu-lio̍k-pì

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: sāntóuliùbì
  - Zhuyin: ㄙㄢㄊㄡˊ ㄌㄧㄡˋ ㄅㄧˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: santóuliòubì
  - Wade–Giles: san¹-tʻou²-liu⁴-pi⁴
  - Yale: sān-tóu-lyòu-bì
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: santourliowbih
  - Palladius: саньтоулюби (sanʹtouljubi)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sän⁵⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ li̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: saam¹ tau⁴ luk⁶ bei³
  - Yale: sāam tàuh luhk bei
  - Cantonese Pinyin: saam¹ tau⁴ luk⁹ bei³
  - Guangdong Romanization: sam¹ teo⁴ lug⁶ béi³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /saːm⁵⁵ tʰɐu̯²¹ lʊk̚² pei̯³³/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sam-thô͘-lio̍k-pì
  - Tâi-lô: sam-thôo-lio̍k-pì
  - Phofsit Daibuun: samtoliogpix
  - IPA (Xiamen): /sam⁴⁴⁻²² tʰɔ²⁴ liɔk̚⁴⁻³² pi²¹/
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sam-thiô-lio̍k-pì
  - Tâi-lô: sam-thiô-lio̍k-pì
  - Phofsit Daibuun: samtioiliogpix
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /sam⁴⁴⁻³³ tʰiɤ²³ liɔk̚⁴⁻³² pi²¹/
  - IPA (Taipei): /sam⁴⁴⁻³³ tʰio²⁴ liɔk̚⁴⁻³² pi¹¹/
- (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sam-thâu-lio̍k-pì
  - Tâi-lô: sam-thâu-lio̍k-pì
  - Phofsit Daibuun: samtauliogpix
  - IPA (Taipei): /sam⁴⁴⁻³³ tʰau²⁴ liɔk̚⁴⁻³² pi¹¹/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /sam⁴⁴⁻³³ tʰau²³ liɔk̚⁴⁻³² pi²¹/

Idiom

三頭六臂

(figurative) (having) superhuman powers