如火如荼

Chinese

		as (if); such as	fire; angry; fierce fire; angry; fierce; fiery; thriving	as (if); such as	cogon spikes
trad. (如火如荼)		如	火	如	荼
simp. #(如火如荼)		如	火	如	荼

Etymology

From a statement in Guoyu describing how spectacular the Wu army was:

萬人以為方陣，皆白裳、白旂、素甲、白羽之矰，望之如荼。左軍亦如之，皆赤裳、赤旟、丹甲、朱羽之矰，望之如火。右軍亦如之，皆玄裳、玄旗、黑甲、烏羽之矰，望之如墨。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

---

万人以为方阵，皆白裳、白旗、素甲、白羽之矰，望之如荼。左军亦如之，皆赤裳、赤𭤰、丹甲、朱羽之矰，望之如火。右军亦如之，皆玄裳、玄旗、黑甲、乌羽之矰，望之如墨。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Guoyu, circa 4^th century BCE

Wàn rén yǐ wèi fāngzhèn, jiē bái shang, bái qí, sù jiǎ, bái yǔ zhī zēng, wàng zhī rú tú. Zuǒ jūn yì rú zhī, jiē chì shang, chì yú, dān jiǎ, zhū yǔ zhī zēng, wàng zhī rú huǒ. Yòu jūn yì rú zhī, jiē xuán shang, xuán qí, hēi jiǎ, wū yǔ zhī zēng, wàng zhī rú mò. [Pinyin]

Ten thousand warriors form a phalanx [in the middle], with white clothes, white banners, white armours, and white arrows, and they looked like cogon spikes. The army on the left also wore like this, with red clothes, red banners, red armours, and red arrows, and they looked like fire. The army on the right also wore like this, with black clothes, black banners, black armours, and black arrows, and they looked like ink.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): rúhuǒrútú

  (Zhuyin): ㄖㄨˊ ㄏㄨㄛˇ ㄖㄨˊ ㄊㄨˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jyu⁴ fo² jyu⁴ tou⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: rúhuǒrútú
    • Zhuyin: ㄖㄨˊ ㄏㄨㄛˇ ㄖㄨˊ ㄊㄨˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: rúhuǒrútú
    • Wade–Giles: ju²-huo³-ju²-tʻu²
    • Yale: rú-hwǒ-rú-tú
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ruhuoorutwu
    • Palladius: жухожуту (žuxožutu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʐu³⁵ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐu³⁵ tʰu³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jyu⁴ fo² jyu⁴ tou⁴
    • Yale: yùh fó yùh tòuh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jy⁴ fo² jy⁴ tou⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: yu⁴ fo² yu⁴ tou⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jyː²¹ fɔː³⁵ jyː²¹ tʰou̯²¹/

Idiom

如火如荼

1. (literal) (to have) a mighty army like wildfire
2. a daunting and vigorous momentum; flourishing; magnificent

   奧運比賽進行得如火如荼。 [MSC, trad.]
   奥运比赛进行得如火如荼。 [MSC, simp.]

   Àoyùn bǐsài jìnxíng dé rúhuǒrútú. [Pinyin]

   The Olympic Games is in full swing.