唯唯諾諾

Chinese

		to say respectful words of compliance; to say a bunch of yes sirs and madams	sound of agreeing submissively
trad. (唯唯諾諾)		唯唯	諾諾
simp. (唯唯诺诺)		唯唯	诺诺

Etymology

From Han Feizi, Chapter 9 (《韓非子·八姦》):

優笑侏儒，左右近習，此人主未命而唯唯，未使而諾諾，先意承旨，觀貌察色以先主心者也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

优笑侏儒，左右近习，此人主未命而唯唯，未使而诺诺，先意承旨，观貌察色以先主心者也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Han Feizi, circa 2^nd century BCE, translated based on W. K. Liao's version

Yōu xiào zhūrú, zuǒyòu jìn xí, cǐ rénzhǔ wèi mìng ér wéiwéi, wèi shǐ ér nuònuò, xiān yì chéng zhǐ, guān mào chá sè yǐ xiān zhǔ xīn zhě yě. [Pinyin]

Actors, jokers, and clowns as well as attendants and courtiers would say, "At your service, at your service," before the sovereign has given any order, and say, "Yes, yes," before he has commanded them to do anything, thus taking orders ahead of his words and looking at his facial expressions and judging his needs by his colour in order thereby to render him service before he makes up his mind.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): wéiwéinuònuò, wěiwěinuònuò

(Zhuyin): ㄨㄟˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄋㄨㄛˋ ㄋㄨㄛˋ, ㄨㄟˇ ㄨㄟˇ ㄋㄨㄛˋ ㄋㄨㄛˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): wai⁴ wai⁴ nok⁶ nok⁶

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: wéiwéinuònuò
  - Zhuyin: ㄨㄟˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄋㄨㄛˋ ㄋㄨㄛˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: wéiwéinuònuò
  - Wade–Giles: wei²-wei²-no⁴-no⁴
  - Yale: wéi-wéi-nwò-nwò
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: weiweinuohnuoh
  - Palladius: вэйвэйноно (vɛjvɛjnono)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ nu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ nu̯ɔ⁵¹/
- (Standard Chinese, standard in Taiwan; variant in Mainland)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: wěiwěinuònuò [Phonetic: wéiwěinuònuò]
  - Zhuyin: ㄨㄟˇ ㄨㄟˇ ㄋㄨㄛˋ ㄋㄨㄛˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: wěiwěinuònuò
  - Wade–Giles: wei³-wei³-no⁴-no⁴
  - Yale: wěi-wěi-nwò-nwò
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: woeiwoeinuohnuoh
  - Palladius: вэйвэйноно (vɛjvɛjnono)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ weɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ nu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ nu̯ɔ⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: wai⁴ wai⁴ nok⁶ nok⁶
  - Yale: wàih wàih nohk nohk
  - Cantonese Pinyin: wai⁴ wai⁴ nok⁹ nok⁹
  - Guangdong Romanization: wei⁴ wei⁴ nog⁶ nog⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɐi̯²¹ wɐi̯²¹ nɔːk̚² nɔːk̚²/

Idiom

唯唯諾諾

to always follow others' opinion; to be a yes man without any opinions of one's own