周瑜打黃蓋——一個願打，一個願挨

Chinese

		Zhou Yu	beat; strike; break beat; strike; break; mix up; build; fight; fetch; make; tie up; issue; shoot; calculate; since; from; dozen	Huang Gai			hope; wish; desire hope; wish; desire; ready; willing	beat; strike; break beat; strike; break; mix up; build; fight; fetch; make; tie up; issue; shoot; calculate; since; from; dozen			hope; wish; desire hope; wish; desire; ready; willing	next to; suffer (hunger); endure next to; suffer (hunger); endure; drag out; delay; stall; play for time; lean to; in order; in sequence
trad. (周瑜打黃蓋——一個願打，一個願挨)		周瑜	打	黃蓋	——	一個	願	打	，	一個	願	挨
simp. (周瑜打黄盖——一个愿打，一个愿挨)		周瑜	打	黄盖	——	一个	愿	打	，	一个	愿	挨
alternative forms		周瑜打黃蓋——一個願打，一個願捱／周瑜打黄盖——一个愿打，一个愿捱
Literally: “Zhou Yu beats Huang Gai ― one is willing to give a beating, and one is willing to take a beating”.

Etymology

A xiehouyu from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Zhou Yu wanted Huang Gai, his subordinate, to pretend to defect to Cao Cao's side so that Huang Gai could gain Cao Cao's trust. This allowed Huang Gai to set fire to Cao Cao's fleet during the Battle of Red Cliffs, forcing Cao Cao to retreat. Zhou Yu had Huang Gai flogged in front of Cao Cao's spies so that they would not be suspicious.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): Zhōu Yú dǎ Huáng Gài, yī ge yuàn dǎ, yī ge yuàn ái

  (Zhuyin): ㄓㄡ ㄩˊ ㄉㄚˇ ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄍㄞˋ , ㄧ ˙ㄍㄜ ㄩㄢˋ ㄉㄚˇ , ㄧ ˙ㄍㄜ ㄩㄢˋ ㄞˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zau¹ jyu⁴ daa² wong⁴ goi³, jat¹ go³ jyun⁶ daa², jat¹ go³ jyun⁶ ngaai⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: Zhōu Yú dǎ Huáng Gài, yī ge yuàn dǎ, yī ge yuàn ái [Phonetic: Zhōu Yú dǎ Huáng Gài, yí ge yuàn dǎ, yí ge yuàn ái]
    • Zhuyin: ㄓㄡ ㄩˊ ㄉㄚˇ ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄍㄞˋ , ㄧ ˙ㄍㄜ ㄩㄢˋ ㄉㄚˇ , ㄧ ˙ㄍㄜ ㄩㄢˋ ㄞˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: Jhou Yú dǎ Huáng Gài, yi ge̊ yuàn dǎ, yi ge̊ yuàn ái
    • Wade–Giles: Chou¹ Yü² ta³ Huang² Kai⁴, i¹ ko⁵ yüan⁴ ta³, i¹ ko⁵ yüan⁴ ai²
    • Yale: Jōu Yú dǎ Hwáng Gài-, yī ge ywàn dǎ-, yī ge ywàn ái
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Jou Yu daa Hwang Gay, i i yuann daa, i i yuann air
    • Palladius: Чжоу Юй да Хуан Гай, и гэ юань да, и гэ юань ай (Čžou Juj da Xuan Gaj, i gɛ juanʹ da, i gɛ juanʹ aj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂoʊ̯⁵⁵ y³⁵ tä²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯ɑŋ³⁵ kaɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ g̊ə ɥɛn⁵¹ tä²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ g̊ə ɥɛn⁵¹ ˀaɪ̯³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zau¹ jyu⁴ daa² wong⁴ goi³, jat¹ go³ jyun⁶ daa², jat¹ go³ jyun⁶ ngaai⁴
    • Yale: jāu yùh dá wòhng goi, yāt go yuhn dá, yāt go yuhn ngàaih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzau¹ jy⁴ daa² wong⁴ goi³, jat⁷ go³ jyn⁶ daa², jat⁷ go³ jyn⁶ ngaai⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: zeo¹ yu⁴ da² wong⁴ goi³, yed¹ go³ yun⁶ da², yed¹ go³ yun⁶ ngai⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɐu̯⁵⁵ jyː²¹ taː³⁵ wɔːŋ²¹ kɔːi̯³³ jɐt̚⁵ kɔː³³ jyːn²² taː³⁵ jɐt̚⁵ kɔː³³ jyːn²² ŋaːi̯²¹/

Idiom

周瑜打黃蓋——一個願打，一個願挨

1. (literally) one is willing to give a beating, and one is willing to take a beating
2. (figurative) both parties agree of free will, mutual consent; to willingly submit to something

   • 最終的狀態就將是周瑜打黃蓋——一個願打一個願挨，大家一起參與，圖個輕鬆娛樂。 [MSC, trad.]
     最终的状态就将是周瑜打黄盖——一个愿打一个愿挨，大家一起参与，图个轻松娱乐。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2006, 苗壮 (Miao Zhuang), 短信欺诈是周瑜打黄盖？ (Are we willingly submitting ourselves to text message scams?)

     Zuìzhōng de zhuàngtài jiù jiāng shì Zhōu Yú dǎ Huáng Gài — yīgè yuàn dǎ yīgè yuàn ái, dàjiā yīqǐ cānyù, tú ge qīngsōng yúlè. [Pinyin]

     In the end, it's like the story of Zhou Yu attacking Huang Gai: one willingly attacked, and one willingly bore the attack. In other words, both sides are willing accomplices in the pursuit of frivolous entertainment.

See also

• 兩相情願／两相情愿