債臺高築

See also: 债台高筑

Chinese

		debt	(measure word); platform; stage (measure word); platform; stage; terrace; stand; support; desk; station; broadcasting station	high; tall	build; five-string lute
trad. (債臺高築/債台高築)		債	臺/台	高	築
simp. (债台高筑)		债	台	高	筑

Etymology

From the legend of King Nan of Zhou, the last king of Zhou dynasty, who hid himself on a platform in the palace to avoid people demanding him to pay back the debt for wars, as quoted in the Book of Han:

自幽、平之後，日以陵夷，至虖阸䧢河洛之間，分為二周，有逃責之臺，被竊鐵之言。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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自幽、平之后，日以陵夷，至呼阸𨸟河洛之间，分为二周，有逃责之台，被窃铁之言。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of Han, circa 1^st century CE

Zì yōu, píng zhī hòu, rì yǐ língyí, zhì hū èqū héluò zhījiān, fēnwèi èr zhōu, yǒu táo zhài zhī tái, bèi qiè tiě zhī yán. [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhàitáigāozhù, zhàitáigāozhú

  (Zhuyin): ㄓㄞˋ ㄊㄞˊ ㄍㄠ ㄓㄨˋ, ㄓㄞˋ ㄊㄞˊ ㄍㄠ ㄓㄨˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zaai³ toi⁴ gou¹ zuk¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, Mainland)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhàitáigāozhù
    • Zhuyin: ㄓㄞˋ ㄊㄞˊ ㄍㄠ ㄓㄨˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhàitáigaojhù
    • Wade–Giles: chai⁴-tʻai²-kao¹-chu⁴
    • Yale: jài-tái-gāu-jù
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jaytairgaujuh
    • Palladius: чжайтайгаочжу (čžajtajgaočžu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂaɪ̯⁵¹ tʰaɪ̯³⁵ kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, Taiwan)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhàitáigāozhú
    • Zhuyin: ㄓㄞˋ ㄊㄞˊ ㄍㄠ ㄓㄨˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhàitáigaojhú
    • Wade–Giles: chai⁴-tʻai²-kao¹-chu²
    • Yale: jài-tái-gāu-jú
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jaytairgaujwu
    • Palladius: чжайтайгаочжу (čžajtajgaočžu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂaɪ̯⁵¹ tʰaɪ̯³⁵ kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂu³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zaai³ toi⁴ gou¹ zuk¹
    • Yale: jaai tòih gōu jūk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzaai³ toi⁴ gou¹ dzuk⁷
    • Guangdong Romanization: zai³ toi⁴ gou¹ zug¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡saːi̯³³ tʰɔːi̯²¹ kou̯⁵⁵ t͡sʊk̚⁵/

Idiom

債臺高築

1. be up to one's eyeballs in debt; racked with debt