我聞如是

Chinese

		I; me	hear; news; celebrated hear; news; celebrated; sniff at	like this; so; such
trad. (我聞如是)		我	聞	如是
simp. (我闻如是)		我	闻	如是
anagram		如是我聞／如是我闻

Etymology

Calque of Sanskrit एवं मया श्रुतम् (evaṃ mayā śrutam). The syntax of this early translation directly reflects Chinese grammatical conventions as opposed to the much more commonly used 如是我聞／如是我闻 (rúshìwǒwén), which reflects the original Sanskrit syntax. The "I" in the translation generally refers to the Buddha's cousin Ānanda 阿難／阿难 (Ānán), renowned for having the best memory among the Buddha's disciples.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wǒwénrúshì

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄛˇ ㄨㄣˊ ㄖㄨˊ ㄕˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ngo⁵ man⁴ jyu⁴ si⁶
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): ngó͘-bûn-jû-sī

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wǒwénrúshì
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄛˇ ㄨㄣˊ ㄖㄨˊ ㄕˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wǒwúnrúshìh
    • Wade–Giles: wo³-wên²-ju²-shih⁴
    • Yale: wǒ-wén-rú-shr̀
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: woowenrushyh
    • Palladius: вовэньжуши (vovɛnʹžuši)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ wən³⁵ ʐu³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ngo⁵ man⁴ jyu⁴ si⁶
    • Yale: ngóh màhn yùh sih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ngo⁵ man⁴ jy⁴ si⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: ngo⁵ men⁴ yu⁴ xi⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋɔː¹³ mɐn²¹ jyː²¹ siː²²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ngó͘-bûn-jû-sī
    • Tâi-lô: ngóo-bûn-jû-sī
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ngofbunjusi
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ŋɔ̃⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ bun²³⁻³³ zu²³⁻³³ si³³/

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• Middle Chinese: ngaX mjun nyo dzyeX

Rime
Character	我	聞	如	是
Reading #	1/1	1/2	1/2	1/1
Initial (聲)	疑 (31)	明 (4)	日 (38)	常 (25)
Final (韻)	歌 (94)	文 (59)	魚 (22)	支 (11)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open	Closed	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	III	III	III
Fanqie	五可切	無分切	人諸切	承紙切
Baxter	ngaX	mjun	nyo	dzyeX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ŋɑX/	/mɨun/	/ȵɨʌ/	/d͡ʑiᴇX/
Pan Wuyun	/ŋɑX/	/miun/	/ȵiɔ/	/d͡ʑiɛX/
Shao Rongfen	/ŋɑX/	/miuən/	/ȵʑiɔ/	/d͡ʑjɛX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ŋaX/	/mun/	/ȵɨə̆/	/d͡ʑiə̆X/
Li Rong	/ŋɑX/	/miuən/	/ȵiɔ/	/ʑieX/
Wang Li	/ŋɑX/	/mĭuən/	/ȵʑĭo/	/ʑǐeX/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ŋɑX/	/mi̯uən/	/ȵʑi̯wo/	/ʑie̯X/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	ě	wén	rú	shì
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ngo5	man4	jyu4	si6

Phrase

我聞如是

1. (Buddhism, archaic) Thus have I heard... (a common opening of Buddhist texts)

   我聞如是：一時佛住王舍城耆闍崛山中，與大比丘眾萬二千人俱，一切大聖神通已達。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
   我闻如是：一时佛住王舍城耆阇崛山中，与大比丘众万二千人俱，一切大圣神通已达。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

   From: 佛說無量壽經

   Wǒwénrúshì: yīshí fó zhù Wángshèchéng Qídūjuéshān zhōng, yǔ dà bǐqiū zhòng wàn'èrqiān rén jù, yīqiè dàshèng shéntōng yǐ dá. [Pinyin]

   Thus have I heard: The Buddha was once residing at Gṛdhrakūṭa Peak in Rajagaha, with an assembly of twelve thousand bhikshus in total, all of whom were great sages who had attained spiritual powers.