挾泰山以超北海

Chinese

		clasp under the arm; coerce; hold between	Mount Tai	to use; according to; so as to to use; according to; so as to; in order to; by; with; because; Israel (abbrev.)	to exceed; overtake; surpass to exceed; overtake; surpass; transcend; ultra-; super-; to pass; to cross	the most remote area in the north; North Sea
trad. (挾泰山以超北海)		挾	泰山	以	超	北海
simp. (挟泰山以超北海)		挟	泰山	以	超	北海
alternative forms		挾太山以超北海／挟太山以超北海
Literally: “to hold Mount Tai under the arm and cross the North Sea”.

Etymology

From Mencius:

曰：「挾太山以超北海，語人曰『我不能』，是誠不能也。為長者折枝，語人曰『我不能』，是不為也，非不能也。故王之不王，非挾太山以超北海之類也；王之不王，是折枝之類也。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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曰：「挟太山以超北海，语人曰『我不能』，是诚不能也。为长者折枝，语人曰『我不能』，是不为也，非不能也。故王之不王，非挟太山以超北海之类也；王之不王，是折枝之类也。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

Yuē: “Xié tàishān yǐ chāo běihǎi, yù rén yuē ‘wǒ bùnéng’, shì chéng bùnéng yě. Wèi chángzhě zhé zhī, yù rén yuē ‘wǒ bùnéng’, shì bùwéi yě, fēi bùnéng yě. Gù wáng zhī bù wàng, fēi xié tàishān yǐ chāo běihǎi zhī lèi yě; wáng zhī bù wàng, shì zhé zhī zhī lèi yě.” [Pinyin]

Mencius replied,'In such a thing as taking the Tai mountain under your arm, and leaping over the north sea with it, if you say to people "I am not able to do it," that is a real case of not being able. In such a matter as breaking off a branch from a tree at the order of a superior, if you say to people "I am not able to do it," that is a case of not doing it, it is not a case of not being able to do it. Therefore your Majesty's not exercising the royal sway, is not such a case as that of taking the Tai mountain under your arm, and leaping over the north sea with it. Your Majesty's not exercising the royal sway is a case like that of breaking off a branch from a tree.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xié tàishān yǐ chāo běihǎi

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄝˊ ㄊㄞˋ ㄕㄢ ㄧˇ ㄔㄠ ㄅㄟˇ ㄏㄞˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): hip³ taai³ saan¹ ji⁵ ciu¹ bak¹ hoi²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xié tàishān yǐ chāo běihǎi [Phonetic: xiétàishānyǐchāobéihǎi]
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄝˊ ㄊㄞˋ ㄕㄢ ㄧˇ ㄔㄠ ㄅㄟˇ ㄏㄞˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sié tàishan yǐ chao běihǎi
    • Wade–Giles: hsieh² tʻai⁴-shan¹ i³ chʻao¹ pei³-hai³
    • Yale: syé tài-shān yǐ chāu běi-hǎi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shye tayshan yii chau beeihae
    • Palladius: се тайшань и чао бэйхай (se tajšanʹ i čao bɛjxaj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ tʰaɪ̯⁵¹ ʂän⁵⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑʊ̯⁵⁵ peɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: hip³ taai³ saan¹ ji⁵ ciu¹ bak¹ hoi²
    • Yale: hip taai sāan yíh chīu bāk hói
    • Cantonese Pinyin: hip⁸ taai³ saan¹ ji⁵ tsiu¹ bak⁷ hoi²
    • Guangdong Romanization: hib³ tai³ san¹ yi⁵ qiu¹ beg¹ hoi²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hiːp̚³ tʰaːi̯³³ saːn⁵⁵ jiː¹³ t͡sʰiːu̯⁵⁵ pɐk̚⁵ hɔːi̯³⁵/

Idiom

挾泰山以超北海

1. (figuratively) to do something impossible; to be a mere fantasy