初出茅廬

Chinese

		initial; first; beginning initial; first; beginning; junior; basic	to go out; to come out; to occur to go out; to come out; to occur; to produce; to go beyond; to rise; to put forth; to happen; (a measure word for dramas, plays, or operas)	thatched cottage; shabby house
trad. (初出茅廬)		初	出	茅廬
simp. (初出茅庐)		初	出	茅庐

Etymology

From Romance of the Three Kingdoms:

博望相持用火攻，指揮如意笑談中。直須驚破曹公膽，初出茅廬第一功！ [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]

博望相持用火攻，指挥如意笑谈中。直须惊破曹公胆，初出茅庐第一功！ [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

From: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14^th century CE

Bówàng xiàngchí yòng huǒ gōng, zhǐhuī rúyì xiàotán zhōng. Zhíxū jīngpò Cáo gōng dǎn, chūchūmáolú dìyī gōng! [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): chūchūmáolú

(Zhuyin): ㄔㄨㄔㄨㄇㄠˊ ㄌㄨˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): co¹ ceot¹ maau⁴ lou⁴
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): chhû-chhut-màu-lù

(Hailu, HRS): cu^ˋ chud mau lu
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): chho͘-chhut-mâu-lû

(Teochew, Peng'im): co¹ cug⁴ mao⁵ lou⁵

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: chūchūmáolú
  - Zhuyin: ㄔㄨㄔㄨㄇㄠˊ ㄌㄨˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: chuchumáolú
  - Wade–Giles: chʻu¹-chʻu¹-mao²-lu²
  - Yale: chū-chū-máu-lú
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chuchumaulu
  - Palladius: чучумаолу (čučumaolu)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ mɑʊ̯³⁵ lu³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: co¹ ceot¹ maau⁴ lou⁴
  - Yale: chō chēut màauh lòuh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: tso¹ tsoet⁷ maau⁴ lou⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: co¹ cêd¹ mao⁴ lou⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɔː⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ maːu̯²¹ lou̯²¹/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhû-chhut-màu-lù
  - Hakka Romanization System: cu^ˊ cud^ˋ mau^ˇ lu^ˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: cu¹ cud⁵ mau² lu²
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰu²⁴ t͡sʰut̚² mau̯¹¹ lu¹¹/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: cu^ˋ chud mau lu
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰu⁵³ t͡ʃʰut⁵⁻² mau⁵⁵ lu⁵⁵/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chho͘-chhut-mâu-lû
  - Tâi-lô: tshoo-tshut-mâu-lû
  - Phofsit Daibuun: zhozhutmauluu
  - IPA (Xiamen): /t͡sʰɔ⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰut̚³²⁻⁴ mãu²⁴⁻²² lu²⁴/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: co¹ cug⁴ mao⁵ lou⁵
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsho tshuk mâu lôu
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰo³³⁻²³ t͡sʰuk̚²⁻⁴ mau⁵⁵⁻¹¹ lou⁵⁵/

Idiom

初出茅廬

to have just begun one's career without any experience