牆裡開花牆外香

Chinese

		wall	inside; within; in inside; within; in; lining of clothing	to blossom; to bloom; to flower to blossom; to bloom; to flower; to burst; to split open; to break open	wall	outside; in addition; foreign outside; in addition; foreign; external	fragrant; incense; (of food) savoury fragrant; incense; (of food) savoury; appetizing; sweet; scented; popular
trad. (牆裡開花牆外香/牆裏開花牆外香)		牆	裡/裏	開花	牆	外	香
simp. (墙里开花墙外香)		墙	里	开花	墙	外	香
Literally: “the flower blooms inside the walls, but smells good outside the walls”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qiáng lǐ kāihuā qiáng wài xiāng

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄌㄧˇ ㄎㄞ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄨㄞˋ ㄒㄧㄤ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qiáng lǐ kāihuā qiáng wài xiāng
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄌㄧˇ ㄎㄞ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄨㄞˋ ㄒㄧㄤ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ciáng lǐ kaihua ciáng wài siang
    • Wade–Giles: chʻiang² li³ kʻai¹-hua¹ chʻiang² wai⁴ hsiang¹
    • Yale: chyáng lǐ kāi-hwā chyáng wài syāng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chyang lii kaihua chyang way shiang
    • Palladius: цян ли кайхуа цян вай сян (cjan li kajxua cjan vaj sjan)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʰaɪ̯⁵⁵ xu̯ä⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ waɪ̯⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

Idiom

牆裡開花牆外香

1. (figurative) not well-known inside the country but famous outside