浪子回頭金不換

See also: 浪子回头金不换

Chinese

		loafer; wastrel; wave	to turn around	cannot be exchanged with gold; invaluable; precious cannot be exchanged with gold; invaluable; precious; a kind of inkbrush
trad. (浪子回頭金不換)		浪子	回頭	金不換
simp. (浪子回头金不换)		浪子	回头	金不换
Literally: “A wayward son who returns is more precious than gold.”

Etymology

From the novel 覺世名言十二樓 by Li Yu (1611–1680):

俗語道得好：「浪子回頭金不換。」但凡走過邪路的人，歸到正經路上，更比自幼學好的不同，叫做「大悟之後，永不再迷」，哪裡還肯回頭做那不端不正的事！ [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]

---

俗语道得好：「浪子回头金不换。」但凡走过邪路的人，归到正经路上，更比自幼学好的不同，叫做「大悟之后，永不再迷」，哪里还肯回头做那不端不正的事！ [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

From: 17th century, Li Yu, 覺世名言十二樓

Súyǔ dào de hǎo: “Làngzǐ huítóu jīnbùhuàn.” Dànfán zǒu guò xiélù de rén, guī dào zhèngjīng lù shàng, gèng bǐ zìyòu xué hǎo de bùtóng, jiàozuò “dàwù zhīhòu, yǒng bù zài mí”, nǎlǐ hái kěn huítóu zuò nà bùduānbùzhèng de shì! [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): làngzǐ huítóu jīn bù huàn

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄤˋ ㄗˇ ㄏㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄡˊ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄅㄨˋ ㄏㄨㄢˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): long⁶ zi² wui⁴ tau⁴ gam¹ bat¹ wun⁶
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): lōng-chú hôe-thiô kim put hoān / lōng-chú hôe-thâu kim put ōaⁿ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: làngzǐ huítóu jīn bù huàn [Phonetic: làngzǐ huítóu jīn bú huàn]
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄤˋ ㄗˇ ㄏㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄡˊ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄅㄨˋ ㄏㄨㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: làngzǐh huéitóu jin bù huàn
    • Wade–Giles: lang⁴-tzŭ³ hui²-tʻou² chin¹ pu⁴ huan⁴
    • Yale: làng-dž hwéi-tóu jīn bù hwàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lanqtzyy hweitour jin bu huann
    • Palladius: ланцзы хуэйтоу цзинь бу хуань (lanczy xuejtou czinʹ bu xuanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɑŋ⁵¹ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯eɪ̯³⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕin⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ xu̯än⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: long⁶ zi² wui⁴ tau⁴ gam¹ bat¹ wun⁶
    • Yale: lohng jí wùih tàuh gām bāt wuhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: long⁶ dzi² wui⁴ tau⁴ gam¹ bat⁷ wun⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: long⁶ ji² wui⁴ teo⁴ gem¹ bed¹ wun⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɔːŋ²² t͡siː³⁵ wuːi̯²¹ tʰɐu̯²¹ kɐm⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ wuːn²²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lōng-chú hôe-thiô kim put hoān
    • Tâi-lô: lōng-tsú huê-thiô kim put huān
    • Phofsit Daibuun: loxngzuo hoe'tiooi kym pud hoan
    • IPA (Taipei): /lɔŋ³³⁻¹¹ t͡su⁵³ hue²⁴⁻¹¹ tʰio²⁴ kim⁴⁴ put̚³²⁻⁴ huan³³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /lɔŋ³³⁻²¹ t͡su⁴¹ hue²³⁻³³ tʰiɤ²³ kim⁴⁴ put̚³²⁻⁴ huan³³/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lōng-chú hôe-thâu kim put ōaⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: lōng-tsú huê-thâu kim put uānn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: loxngzuo hoe'taau kym pud voa
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /lɔŋ³³⁻²¹ t͡su⁴¹ hue²³⁻³³ tʰau²³ kim⁴⁴ put̚³²⁻⁴ uã³³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /lɔŋ³³⁻¹¹ t͡su⁵³ hue²⁴⁻¹¹ tʰau²⁴ kim⁴⁴ put̚³²⁻⁴ uã³³/

Proverb

浪子回頭金不換

1. It is rare when someone who has gone astray turns over a new leaf, so we should accept that person with open arms when the person does reform.

Synonyms

• 敗子回頭金不換／败子回头金不换