半斤八兩

See also: 半斤八两

Chinese

		half	catty	eight	tael
trad. (半斤八兩/半斤八両)		半	斤	八	兩/両
simp. (半斤八两)		半	斤	八	两

Etymology

From the historical Chinese measurement system, wherein one 斤 (jīn) was equal to 16 兩／两 (liǎng).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bànjīnbāliǎng

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄅㄚ ㄌㄧㄤˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): bun³ gan¹ baat³ loeng^5-2
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): pan-kîn-pat-liông

  (Hailu, HRS): ban^ˇ gin^ˋ bad liong^ˋ

• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): pòaⁿ-kun-poeh-niú / pòaⁿ-kin-peh-niú / pòaⁿ-kin-peh-nió͘

  (Teochew, Peng'im): buan³ geng¹ boih⁴ niê² / buan³ gêng¹ boih⁴ nio²

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bànjīnbāliǎng
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄅㄚ ㄌㄧㄤˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bànjinbaliǎng
    • Wade–Giles: pan⁴-chin¹-pa¹-liang³
    • Yale: bàn-jīn-bā-lyǎng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: bannjinbaleang
    • Palladius: баньцзиньбалян (banʹczinʹbaljan)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pän⁵¹ t͡ɕin⁵⁵ pä⁵⁵ li̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: bun³ gan¹ baat³ loeng^5-2
    • Yale: bun gān baat léung
    • Cantonese Pinyin: bun³ gan¹ baat⁸ loeng^5-2
    • Guangdong Romanization: bun³ gen¹ bad³ lêng^5-2
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /puːn³³ kɐn⁵⁵ paːt̚³ lœːŋ¹³⁻³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: pan-kîn-pat-liông
    • Hakka Romanization System: ban gin^ˊ bad^ˋ liong^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ban⁴ gin¹ bad⁵ liong¹
    • Sinological IPA: /pan⁵⁵ kin²⁴ pat̚² li̯oŋ²⁴/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: ban^ˇ gin^ˋ bad liong^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /pan¹¹ kin⁵³ pat⁵⁻² lioŋ⁵³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: pòaⁿ-kun-poeh-niú
    • Tâi-lô: puànn-kun-pueh-niú
    • Phofsit Daibuun: pvoarkunpoehniuo
    • IPA (Xiamen): /puã²¹⁻⁵³ kun⁴⁴⁻²² pue(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ niũ⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /puã⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ kun³³ pue(ʔ)⁵ niũ⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /puã¹¹⁻⁵³ kun⁴⁴⁻³³ pue(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ niũ⁵³/
  • (Hokkien: Kaohsiung)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: pòaⁿ-kin-peh-niú
    • Tâi-lô: puànn-kin-peh-niú
    • Phofsit Daibuun: pvoarkinpehniuo
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /puã²¹⁻⁴¹ kin⁴⁴⁻³³ pe(ʔ)³²⁻⁴¹ niũ⁴¹/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Tainan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: pòaⁿ-kin-peh-nió͘
    • Tâi-lô: puànn-kin-peh-nióo
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /puã²¹⁻⁵³ kin⁴⁴⁻²² pe(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ niɔ̃⁵³/
    • IPA (Tainan): /puã²¹⁻⁵³ kin⁴⁴⁻³³ pe(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ niɔ̃⁵³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: buan³ geng¹ boih⁴ niê² / buan³ gêng¹ boih⁴ nio²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: puàⁿ kṳng poih nié / puàⁿ keng poih nió
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pũã²¹³⁻⁵⁵ kɯŋ³³⁻²³ poiʔ²⁻⁴ nie⁵²/, /pũã²¹³⁻⁵⁵ keŋ³³⁻²³ poiʔ²⁻⁴ nio⁵²⁻²¹/

Note:

• buan3 geng1 boih4 niê2 - Chao'an;
• buan3 gêng1 boih4 nio2 - Jieyang.

Idiom

半斤八兩

1. (chiefly derogatory) six of one, half a dozen of the other; not much to choose between the two

Derived terms

• 半斤笑八兩／半斤笑八两

 

References

• “Entry #3598”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2024.