分道揚鑣

Chinese

		to go different directions
trad. (分道揚鑣)		分道	揚鑣
simp. (分道扬镳)		分道	扬镳
Literally: “to take different roads and urge the horses on”.

Etymology

From the Book of Wei, chapter 14 (《魏書·神元平文諸帝子孫列傳第二》), where Emperor Xiaowen mediates between two officials arguing over their priority of passage.

高祖曰：「洛陽我之豐沛，自應分路揚鑣。自今以後，可分路而行。」 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

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高祖曰：「洛阳我之丰沛，自应分路扬镳。自今以后，可分路而行。」 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: Wei Shou, Book of Wei, 551 – 554 CE

Gāozǔ yuē: “Luòyáng wǒ zhī fēngpèi, zì yīng fēnlù yángbiāo. Zì jīn yǐhòu, kě fēnlù ér xíng.” [Pinyin]

Emperor Gaozu said: "Luoyang is my territory, you should divide the road and urge your horses on. From now on, you can go separate ways."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): fēndàoyángbiāo

  (Zhuyin): ㄈㄣ ㄉㄠˋ ㄧㄤˊ ㄅㄧㄠ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): fan¹ dou⁶ joeng⁴ biu¹
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): hun-tō-iông-piau

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: fēndàoyángbiāo
    • Zhuyin: ㄈㄣ ㄉㄠˋ ㄧㄤˊ ㄅㄧㄠ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: fendàoyángbiao
    • Wade–Giles: fên¹-tao⁴-yang²-piao¹
    • Yale: fēn-dàu-yáng-byāu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: fendawyangbiau
    • Palladius: фэньдаоянбяо (fɛnʹdaojanbjao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fən⁵⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹ jɑŋ³⁵ pi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: fan¹ dou⁶ joeng⁴ biu¹
    • Yale: fān douh yèuhng bīu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: fan¹ dou⁶ joeng⁴ biu¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: fen¹ dou⁶ yêng⁴ biu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fɐn⁵⁵ tou̯²² jœːŋ²¹ piːu̯⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hun-tō-iông-piau
    • Tâi-lô: hun-tō-iông-piau
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hundoixiongpiaw
    • IPA (Xiamen): /hun⁴⁴⁻²² to²²⁻²¹ iɔŋ²⁴⁻²² piau⁴⁴/

Idiom

分道揚鑣

1. to part ways; to part company