嘆為觀止

Chinese

		to sigh	because of; for; to because of; for; to; act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become	to be good beyond comparison; to be the cream of the crop
trad. (嘆為觀止/歎為觀止/嘆爲觀止/歎爲觀止)		嘆/歎	為/爲	觀止
simp. (叹为观止)		叹	为	观止

Etymology

吳公子札來聘……見舞《韶箾》者，曰：‘德至矣哉，大矣！如天之無不幬也，如地之無不載也。雖甚盛德，其蔑以加於此矣，觀止矣。若有他樂，吾不敢請已。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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吴公子札来聘……见舞《韶箾》者，曰：‘德至矣哉，大矣！如天之无不帱也，如地之无不载也。虽甚盛德，其蔑以加于此矣，观止矣。若有他乐，吾不敢请已。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

Wú Gōngzǐ Zhá lái pìn...... Jiàn wǔ “Sháoxiāo” zhě, yuē: ‘Dé zhì yǐ zāi, dà yǐ! Rú tiān zhī wú bù chóu yě, rú dì zhī wú bù zǎi yě. Suī shèn shèng dé, qí miè yǐ jiā yú cǐ yǐ, guān zhǐ yǐ. Ruò yǒu tā yuè, wú bù gǎn qǐng yǐ. [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): tànwéiguānzhǐ

  (Zhuyin): ㄊㄢˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄓˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): taan³ wai⁴ gun¹ zi²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: tànwéiguānzhǐ
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄢˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄓˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: tànwéiguanjhǐh
    • Wade–Giles: tʻan⁴-wei²-kuan¹-chih³
    • Yale: tàn-wéi-gwān-jř
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tannweiguanjyy
    • Palladius: таньвэйгуаньчжи (tanʹvɛjguanʹčži)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰän⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ ku̯än⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: taan³ wai⁴ gun¹ zi²
    • Yale: taan wàih gūn jí
    • Cantonese Pinyin: taan³ wai⁴ gun¹ dzi²
    • Guangdong Romanization: tan³ wei⁴ gun¹ ji²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰaːn³³ wɐi̯²¹ kuːn⁵⁵ t͡siː³⁵/

Idiom

嘆為觀止

1. to gasp in amazement; to acclaim as the peak of perfection