妻離子散

Chinese

		wife; to marry off (a daughter)	to leave; to depart; to go away to leave; to depart; to go away; from	child; son; (noun suffix) child; son; (noun suffix); small thing; seed; egg; 1st earthly branch; 11 p.m.–1 a.m., midnight	adjourn; scatter; leisurely adjourn; scatter; leisurely; loosen; powdered medicine; to scatter; to come loose
trad. (妻離子散)		妻	離	子	散
simp. (妻离子散)		妻	离	子	散

Etymology

From Mencius (《孟子·梁惠王上》):

彼奪其民時，使不得耕耨以養其父母，父母凍餓，兄弟妻子離散。彼陷溺其民，王往而征之，夫誰與王敵？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]

彼夺其民时，使不得耕耨以养其父母，父母冻饿，兄弟妻子离散。彼陷溺其民，王往而征之，夫谁与王敌？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Bǐ duó qí mín shí, shǐ bùdé gēng nòu yǐ yǎng qí fùmǔ, fùmǔ dòng'è, xiōngdì qīzǐ lísàn. Bǐ xiàn nì qí mín, wáng wǎng ér zhēng zhī, fú shuí yǔ wáng dí? [Pinyin]

The rulers of those States rob their people of their time, so that they cannot plough and weed their fields, in order to support their parents. Their parents suffer from cold and hunger. Brothers, wives, and children are separated and scattered abroad. Those rulers, as it were, drive their people into pit-falls, or drown them. Your Majesty will go to punish them. In such a case, who will oppose your Majesty?

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): qīlízǐsàn

(Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄌㄧˊ ㄗˇ ㄙㄢˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): cai¹ lei⁴ zi² saan³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: qīlízǐsàn
  - Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄌㄧˊ ㄗˇ ㄙㄢˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: cilízǐhsàn
  - Wade–Giles: chʻi¹-li²-tzŭ³-san⁴
  - Yale: chī-lí-dž-sàn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chilitzyysann
  - Palladius: цилицзысань (ciliczysanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ li³⁵ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ sän⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: cai¹ lei⁴ zi² saan³
  - Yale: chāi lèih jí saan
  - Cantonese Pinyin: tsai¹ lei⁴ dzi² saan³
  - Guangdong Romanization: cei¹ léi⁴ ji² san³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɐi̯⁵⁵ lei̯²¹ t͡siː³⁵ saːn³³/

Idiom

妻離子散

to have one's family dispersed