投筆從戎

Chinese

		to cease writing; to forsake the pen	to join the army; to enlist
trad. (投筆從戎)		投筆	從戎
simp. (投笔从戎)		投笔	从戎
Literally: “to lay down the pen and take up the sword”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): tóubǐcóngróng

  (Zhuyin): ㄊㄡˊ ㄅㄧˇ ㄘㄨㄥˊ ㄖㄨㄥˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): tau⁴ bat¹ cung⁴ jung⁴
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): thèu-pit-chhiùng-yùng
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): tâu-pit-chiông-jiông

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: tóubǐcóngróng
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄡˊ ㄅㄧˇ ㄘㄨㄥˊ ㄖㄨㄥˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: tóubǐcóngróng
    • Wade–Giles: tʻou²-pi³-tsʻung²-jung²
    • Yale: tóu-bǐ-tsúng-rúng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tourbiitsorngrong
    • Palladius: тоубицунжун (toubicunžun)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰoʊ̯³⁵ pi²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰʊŋ³⁵ ʐʊŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: tau⁴ bat¹ cung⁴ jung⁴
    • Yale: tàuh bāt chùhng yùhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tau⁴ bat⁷ tsung⁴ jung⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: teo⁴ bed¹ cung⁴ yung⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰɐu̯²¹ pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰʊŋ²¹ jʊŋ²¹/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: thèu-pit-chhiùng-yùng
    • Hakka Romanization System: teu^ˇ bid^ˋ qiung^ˇ iung^ˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: teu² bid⁵ qiung² yung²
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰeu̯¹¹ pit̚² t͡sʰi̯uŋ¹¹ i̯uŋ¹¹/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: thèu-pit-chhiùng-yùng
    • Hakka Romanization System: teu^ˇ bid^ˋ qiung^ˇ (r)iung^ˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: teu² bid⁵ qiung² yung²
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰeu̯¹¹ pit̚² t͡sʰi̯uŋ¹¹ (j)i̯uŋ¹¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tâu-pit-chiông-jiông
    • Tâi-lô: tâu-pit-tsiông-jiông
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dau'pitciongjioong
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tau²³⁻³³ pit̚³²⁻⁴ t͡siɔŋ²³⁻³³ ziɔŋ²³/

Idiom

投筆從戎

1. (of a scholar) to join the military

Synonyms

• 棄筆從戎／弃笔从戎 (qìbǐcóngróng)