物是人非

Chinese

		thing; object; matter	be; yes; this	man; person; people	(be) not; wrong; blame (be) not; wrong; blame; Africa
trad. (物是人非)		物	是	人	非
simp. #(物是人非)		物	是	人	非

Etymology

First used by Cao Pi.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wùshìrénfēi

  (Zhuyin): ㄨˋ ㄕˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄈㄟ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mat⁶ si⁶ jan⁴ fei¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wùshìrénfēi
    • Zhuyin: ㄨˋ ㄕˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄈㄟ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wùshìhrénfei
    • Wade–Giles: wu⁴-shih⁴-jên²-fei¹
    • Yale: wù-shr̀-rén-fēi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wuhshyhrenfei
    • Palladius: ушижэньфэй (ušižɛnʹfɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ feɪ̯⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: mat⁶ si⁶ jan⁴ fei¹
    • Yale: maht sih yàhn fēi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mat⁹ si⁶ jan⁴ fei¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: med⁶ xi⁶ yen⁴ féi¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɐt̚² siː²² jɐn²¹ fei̯⁵⁵/

Idiom

物是人非

1. the things are still there but the person or people no longer are (describing the passing of a loved one or a revisit of a once familiar place)

Usage notes

Also used as 物是人非事事休, a line in Li Qingzhao's poem.

See also

• 時過境遷／时过境迁 (shíguòjìngqiān)