當頭棒喝

Chinese

		right on someone's head; overhead; head on right on someone's head; overhead; head on; in someone's face; directly	to receive a blow with a stick or a yell by his master to bring about instant realization or awakening
trad. (當頭棒喝)		當頭	棒喝
simp. (当头棒喝)		当头	棒喝

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): dāngtóubànghè

  (Zhuyin): ㄉㄤ ㄊㄡˊ ㄅㄤˋ ㄏㄜˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): dong¹ tau⁴ paang⁵ hot³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: dāngtóubànghè
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄤ ㄊㄡˊ ㄅㄤˋ ㄏㄜˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: dangtóubànghè
    • Wade–Giles: tang¹-tʻou²-pang⁴-ho⁴
    • Yale: dāng-tóu-bàng-hè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dangtourbanqheh
    • Palladius: дантоубанхэ (dantoubanxɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɑŋ⁵⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ pɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ xɤ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: dong¹ tau⁴ paang⁵ hot³
    • Yale: dōng tàuh páahng hot
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dong¹ tau⁴ paang⁵ hot⁸
    • Guangdong Romanization: dong¹ teo⁴ pang⁵ hod³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɔːŋ⁵⁵ tʰɐu̯²¹ pʰaːŋ¹³ hɔːt̚³/

Idiom

當頭棒喝

1. (Buddhism, of a novice monk) to receive a blow with a stick or a yell by his master to bring about instant realization or awakening
2. (figurative) stern warning; wake-up call