披髮左衽

Chinese

		brazenly; without restraint; to have hair that is dishevelled	garment fastened on the left side
trad. (披髮左衽)		披髮	左衽
simp. (披发左衽)		披发	左衽
alternative forms		被髮左衽／被发左衽

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 14 (《論語·憲問》):

子曰：「管仲相桓公，霸諸侯，一匡天下，民到于今受其賜；微管仲，吾其被髮左衽矣！…… [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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子曰：「管仲相桓公，霸诸侯，一匡天下，民到于今受其赐；微管仲，吾其被发左衽矣！…… [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Zǐyuē: “Guǎn Zhòng xiàng Huán Gōng, bà zhūhóu, yī kuāng tiānxià, mín dào yú jīn shòu qí cì; wēi Guǎn Zhòng, wú qí bèifà zuǒrèn yǐ!...... [Pinyin]

Guan Zhong acted as prime minister to the duke Huan, made him leader of all the princes, and united and rectified the whole kingdom. Down to the present day, the people enjoy the gifts which he conferred. But for Guan Zhong, we should now be wearing our hair unbound, and the lappets of our coats buttoning on the left side. …

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): pīfàzuǒrèn, pīfǎzuǒrèn

  (Zhuyin): ㄆㄧ ㄈㄚˋ ㄗㄨㄛˇ ㄖㄣˋ, ㄆㄧ ㄈㄚˇ ㄗㄨㄛˇ ㄖㄣˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): pei¹ faat³ zo² jam⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, Mainland)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: pīfàzuǒrèn
    • Zhuyin: ㄆㄧ ㄈㄚˋ ㄗㄨㄛˇ ㄖㄣˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: pifàzuǒrèn
    • Wade–Giles: pʻi¹-fa⁴-tso³-jên⁴
    • Yale: pī-fà-dzwǒ-rèn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: pifahtzuoorenn
    • Palladius: пифацзожэнь (pifaczožɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰi⁵⁵ fä⁵¹ t͡su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən⁵¹/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, Taiwan)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: pīfǎzuǒrèn [Phonetic: pīfázuǒrèn]
    • Zhuyin: ㄆㄧ ㄈㄚˇ ㄗㄨㄛˇ ㄖㄣˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: pifǎzuǒrèn
    • Wade–Giles: pʻi¹-fa³-tso³-jên⁴
    • Yale: pī-fǎ-dzwǒ-rèn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: pifaatzuoorenn
    • Palladius: пифацзожэнь (pifaczožɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰi⁵⁵ fä²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: pei¹ faat³ zo² jam⁶
    • Yale: pēi faat jó yahm
    • Cantonese Pinyin: pei¹ faat⁸ dzo² jam⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: péi¹ fad³ zo² yem⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰei̯⁵⁵ faːt̚³ t͡sɔː³⁵ jɐm²²/

Idiom

披髮左衽

1. dress like a barbarian; uncivilised