普天之下，莫非王土

Chinese

		all over the world		it is none other than; is it not; can it be that it is none other than; is it not; can it be that; can it be possible that
trad. (普天之下，莫非王土)		普天之下	，	莫非	王土
simp. #(普天之下，莫非王土)		普天之下	，	莫非	王土

Etymology

From the Classic of Poetry, poem 205 (《詩經·小雅·北山》):

溥天之下，莫非王土。
率土之濱，莫非王臣。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]

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溥天之下，莫非王土。
率土之滨，莫非王臣。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Pǔ tiān zhī xià, mòfēi wáng tǔ.
Shuài tǔ zhī bīn, mòfēi wáng chén. [Pinyin]

Under the wide heaven, All is the king's land.
Within the sea-boundaries of the land, All are the king's servants.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): pǔtiānzhīxià, mòfēiwángtǔ

  (Zhuyin): ㄆㄨˇ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄓ ㄒㄧㄚˋ , ㄇㄛˋ ㄈㄟ ㄨㄤˊ ㄊㄨˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): pou² tin¹ zi¹ haa⁶, mok⁶ fei¹ wong⁴ tou²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: pǔtiānzhīxià, mòfēiwángtǔ
    • Zhuyin: ㄆㄨˇ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄓ ㄒㄧㄚˋ , ㄇㄛˋ ㄈㄟ ㄨㄤˊ ㄊㄨˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: pǔtianjhihsià, mòfeiwángtǔ
    • Wade–Giles: pʻu³-tʻien¹-chih¹-hsia⁴, mo⁴-fei¹-wang²-tʻu³
    • Yale: pǔ-tyān-jr̄-syà-, mwò-fēi-wáng-tǔ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: puutianjyshiah, mohfeiwangtuu
    • Palladius: путяньчжися, мофэйванту (putjanʹčžisja, mofɛjvantu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu̯ɔ⁵¹ feɪ̯⁵⁵ wɑŋ³⁵ tʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: pou² tin¹ zi¹ haa⁶, mok⁶ fei¹ wong⁴ tou²
    • Yale: póu tīn jī hah, mohk fēi wòhng tóu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: pou² tin¹ dzi¹ haa⁶, mok⁹ fei¹ wong⁴ tou²
    • Guangdong Romanization: pou² tin¹ ji¹ ha⁶, mog⁶ féi¹ wong⁴ tou²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰou̯³⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ haː²² mɔːk̚² fei̯⁵⁵ wɔːŋ²¹ tʰou̯³⁵/

Proverb

普天之下，莫非王土

1. All land under heaven is the territory of the sovereign