東施效顰

See also: 东施效颦 and 東施傚顰

Chinese

		Dongshi	effect; efficacy; imitate	knit the brows
trad. (東施效顰/東施傚顰/東施效矉/東施傚矉)		東施	效/傚	顰/矉
simp. (东施效颦)		东施	效	颦

Etymology

Based on a story in "The Circling Sky", in Zhuangzi (《莊子·天運》). Xishi (西施), a famous beauty in Chinese history, often frowned because of her heart disease. An ugly woman of the same village imitated Xishi to try to be as beautiful as her, but in turn made herself uglier and scared away the villagers.

西施病心而矉其里，其里之醜人見而美之，歸亦捧心而矉其里。其里之富人見之，堅閉門而不出；貧人見之，挈妻子而去之走。彼知矉美而不知矉之所以美。惜乎！而夫子其窮哉！ [Classical Chinese, trad.]

西施病心而𪾸其里，其里之丑人见而美之，归亦捧心而𪾸其里。其里之富人见之，坚闭门而不出；贫人见之，挈妻子而去之走。彼知𪾸美而不知𪾸之所以美。惜乎！而夫子其穷哉！ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

Xīshī bìng xīn ér pín qí lǐ, qí lǐ zhī chǒu rén jiàn ér měi zhī, guī yì pěng xīn ér pín qí lǐ. Qí lǐ zhī fùrén jiàn zhī, jiān bìmén ér bù chū; pín rén jiàn zhī, qiè qī zǐ ér qù zhī zǒu. Bǐ zhī pín měi ér bùzhī pín zhīsuǒyǐ měi. Xī hū! Ér fūzǐ qí qióng zāi! [Pinyin]

When Xishi was having heart disease, she would knit her brows and frown on all in her neighbourhood. An ugly woman of the neighbourhood, seeing and admiring her beauty, went home, and also laying her hands on her heart proceeded to stare and frown on all around her. When the rich people of the village saw her, they shut fast their doors and would not go out; when the poor people saw her, they took their wives and children and ran away from her. The woman knew how to admire the frowning beauty, but she did not know how it was that she, though frowning, was beautiful. Alas! It is indeed all over with your Master!

The ugly woman was unnamed in the original text but people later named her 東施, as 東／东 (dōng, “east”) is the antonym of 西 (xī, “west”)

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): dōngshīxiàopín

(Zhuyin): ㄉㄨㄥㄕㄒㄧㄠˋ ㄆㄧㄣˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): dung¹ si¹ haau⁶ pan⁴

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: dōngshīxiàopín
  - Zhuyin: ㄉㄨㄥㄕㄒㄧㄠˋ ㄆㄧㄣˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: dongshihsiàopín
  - Wade–Giles: tung¹-shih¹-hsiao⁴-pʻin²
  - Yale: dūng-shr̄-syàu-pín
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dongshyshiawpyn
  - Palladius: дуншисяопинь (dunšisjaopinʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʊŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ pʰin³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: dung¹ si¹ haau⁶ pan⁴
  - Yale: dūng sī haauh pàhn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dung¹ si¹ haau⁶ pan⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: dung¹ xi¹ hao⁶ pen⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʊŋ⁵⁵ siː⁵⁵ haːu̯²² pʰɐn²¹/

Idiom

東施效顰

to imitate others only to make a fool of oneself; to attempt a crude or awkward imitation

Derived terms

效顰／效颦 (xiàopín)