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

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

(of a scholar) to join the military

Synonyms

棄筆從戎／弃笔从戎 (qìbǐcóngróng)