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.]

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 ㄍㄠㄓㄨˋ, ㄓㄞˋ ㄊㄞˊ ㄍㄠㄓㄨˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): zaai³ toi⁴ gou¹ zuk¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, Mainland)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: zhàitáigāozhù
  - Zhuyin: ㄓㄞˋ ㄊㄞˊ ㄍㄠㄓㄨˋ
  - 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 ㄍㄠㄓㄨˊ
  - 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

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