有事鍾無豔，無事夏迎春

Chinese

		to have a matter to attend to; to have something to do; to be busy to have a matter to attend to; to have something to do; to be busy; to have something on one's mind; to have something the matter	Zhongli Chun		to have no further business; to have nothing further to discuss	Xia Yingchun
trad. (有事鍾無豔，無事夏迎春/有事鍾無艷，無事夏迎春)		有事	鍾無豔/鍾無艷	，	無事	夏迎春
simp. (有事钟无艳，无事夏迎春/有事锺无艳，无事夏迎春)		有事	钟无艳/锺无艳	，	无事	夏迎春
Literally: “reach Zhong Wuyan when there is trouble, reach Xia Yingchun when there is nothing to do”.

Etymology

Zhongli Chun, also known as Zhong Wuyan, was the queen consort of King Xuan of Qi who was talented and famous for her ugliness. She once saved the country by offering the king advice that encouraged him to start reforms.

Xia Yingchun was a fictional character in folk tales who was said to be a concubine of King Xuan and was very beautiful but with little talent. It was said that when King Xuan has troubles, he would seek for Zhongli Chun. On the contrary, when he was free, he would play with Xia Yingchun instead.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yǒushì Zhōng Wúyàn, wúshì Xià Yíngchūn

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄡˇ ㄕˋ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄨˊ ㄧㄢˋ , ㄨˊ ㄕˋ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄧㄥˊ ㄔㄨㄣ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jau⁵ si⁶ zung¹ mou⁴ jim⁶, mou⁴ si⁶ haa⁶ jing⁴ ceon¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yǒushì Zhōng Wúyàn, wúshì Xià Yíngchūn
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄡˇ ㄕˋ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄨˊ ㄧㄢˋ , ㄨˊ ㄕˋ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄧㄥˊ ㄔㄨㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yǒushìh Jhong Wúyàn, wúshìh Sià Yíngchun
    • Wade–Giles: yu³-shih⁴ Chung¹ Wu²-yen⁴, wu²-shih⁴ Hsia⁴ Ying²-chʻun¹
    • Yale: yǒu-shr̀ Jūng Wú-yàn-, wú-shr̀ Syà Yíng-chwūn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yeoushyh Jong Wuyann, wushyh Shiah Yngchuen
    • Palladius: юши Чжун Уянь, уши Ся Инчунь (juši Čžun Ujanʹ, uši Sja Inčunʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ u³⁵ jɛn⁵¹ u³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ iŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ən⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jau⁵ si⁶ zung¹ mou⁴ jim⁶, mou⁴ si⁶ haa⁶ jing⁴ ceon¹
    • Yale: yáuh sih jūng mòuh yihm, mòuh sih hah yìhng chēun
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jau⁵ si⁶ dzung¹ mou⁴ jim⁶, mou⁴ si⁶ haa⁶ jing⁴ tsoen¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yeo⁵ xi⁶ zung¹ mou⁴ yim⁶, mou⁴ xi⁶ ha⁶ ying⁴ cên¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐu̯¹³ siː²² t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ mou̯²¹ jiːm²² mou̯²¹ siː²² haː²² jɪŋ²¹ t͡sʰɵn⁵⁵/

Idiom

有事鍾無豔，無事夏迎春

1. Someone only reaches his/her friend when the friend is advantageous.

See also

• 無鹽女／无盐女 (wúyánnǚ)