優哉游哉

Chinese

		excellent; superior	(exclamatory or interrog. part.)	to walk; to tour; to roam to walk; to tour; to roam; to swim; to travel	(exclamatory or interrog. part.)
trad. (優哉游哉)		優	哉	游	哉
simp. (优哉游哉)		优	哉	游	哉

Etymology

From the Classic of Poetry, poem 222 (《詩經·小雅·采菽》):

樂只君子，福祿膍之。
優哉游哉，亦是戾矣。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]

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乐只君子，福禄膍之。
优哉游哉，亦是戾矣。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Lè zhǐ jūnzǐ, fúlù pí zhī.
Yōuzāiyóuzāi, yì shì lì yǐ. [Pinyin]

To be rejoiced in are the princes, And their happiness and dignities are enlarged.
How joyous, how happy, Is their coming here!

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yōuzāiyóuzāi

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄡ ㄗㄞ ㄧㄡˊ ㄗㄞ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jau¹ zoi¹ jau⁴ zoi¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yōuzāiyóuzāi
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄡ ㄗㄞ ㄧㄡˊ ㄗㄞ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: youzaiyóuzai
    • Wade–Giles: yu¹-tsai¹-yu²-tsai¹
    • Yale: yōu-dzāi-yóu-dzāi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ioutzaiyoutzai
    • Palladius: юцзайюцзай (juczajjuczaj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /joʊ̯⁵⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵⁵ joʊ̯³⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jau¹ zoi¹ jau⁴ zoi¹
    • Yale: yāu jōi yàuh jōi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jau¹ dzoi¹ jau⁴ dzoi¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yeo¹ zoi¹ yeo⁴ zoi¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐu̯⁵⁵ t͡sɔːi̯⁵⁵ jɐu̯²¹ t͡sɔːi̯⁵⁵/

Idiom

優哉游哉

1. leisurely and carefree