人面桃花

Chinese

		human face; person	peach blossom; luck in love affairs; luck in love
trad. (人面桃花)		人面	桃花
simp. #(人面桃花)		人面	桃花
alternative forms		桃花人面
Literally: “the face (of a girl) and peach blossoms”.

Etymology

去年今日此門中，人面桃花相映紅。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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去年今日此门中，人面桃花相映红。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Tang dynasty, 崔護, 題都城南莊

Qùnián jīnrì cǐ mén zhōng, rénmiàntáohuā xiàngyìng hóng. [Pinyin]

One year ago, behind this door,
There was a girl whose face was as beautiful as the peach blossoms beside her.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): rénmiàntáohuā

  (Zhuyin): ㄖㄣˊ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄊㄠˊ ㄏㄨㄚ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jan⁴ min⁶ tou⁴ faa¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: rénmiàntáohuā
    • Zhuyin: ㄖㄣˊ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄊㄠˊ ㄏㄨㄚ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: rénmiàntáohua
    • Wade–Giles: jên²-mien⁴-tʻao²-hua¹
    • Yale: rén-myàn-táu-hwā
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: renmianntaurhua
    • Palladius: жэньмяньтаохуа (žɛnʹmjanʹtaoxua)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʐən³⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹ tʰɑʊ̯³⁵ xu̯ä⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jan⁴ min⁶ tou⁴ faa¹
    • Yale: yàhn mihn tòuh fā
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jan⁴ min⁶ tou⁴ faa¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yen⁴ min⁶ tou⁴ fa¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐn²¹ miːn²² tʰou̯²¹ faː⁵⁵/

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• Middle Chinese: nyin mjienH daw xwae

Rime
Character	人	面	桃	花
Reading #	1/1	1/1	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	日 (38)	明 (4)	定 (7)	曉 (32)
Final (韻)	眞 (43)	仙 (77)	豪 (89)	麻 (99)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Departing (H)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open	Open	Closed
Division (等)	III	III	I	II
Fanqie	如鄰切	彌箭切	徒刀切	呼瓜切
Baxter	nyin	mjienH	daw	xwae
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ȵiɪn/	/miᴇnH/	/dɑu/	/hˠua/
Pan Wuyun	/ȵin/	/miɛnH/	/dɑu/	/hʷᵚa/
Shao Rongfen	/ȵʑjen/	/mjænH/	/dɑu/	/xua/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ȵin/	/mianH/	/daw/	/hwaɨ/
Li Rong	/ȵiĕn/	/miɛnH/	/dɑu/	/xua/
Wang Li	/ȵʑĭĕn/	/mĭɛnH/	/dɑu/	/xwa/
Bernard Karlgren	/ȵʑi̯ĕn/	/mi̯ɛnH/	/dʱɑu/	/xwa/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	rén	miàn	táo	huā
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jan4	min6	tou4	faa1

Idiom

人面桃花

1. a man's nostalgic memory of an old sweetheart