白刀子進去，紅刀子出來

Chinese

		white; empty; blank white; empty; blank; bright; clear; plain; pure; gratuitous	small knife; pocketknife; knife	to go in; to enter; to be put in prison to go in; to enter; to be put in prison; to be locked up		red; revolutionary; prosperity red; revolutionary; prosperity; bonus; popular	small knife; pocketknife; knife	to go from inside to outside; to come out
trad. (白刀子進去，紅刀子出來)		白	刀子	進去	，	紅	刀子	出來
simp. (白刀子进去，红刀子出来)		白	刀子	进去	，	红	刀子	出来
Literally: “white knife goes in, red knife comes out”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bái dāozi jìnqù, hóng dāozi chūlái

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄞˊ ㄉㄠ ˙ㄗ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄑㄩˋ , ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄉㄠ ˙ㄗ ㄔㄨ ㄌㄞˊ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bái dāozi jìnqù, hóng dāozi chūlái
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄞˊ ㄉㄠ ˙ㄗ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄑㄩˋ , ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄉㄠ ˙ㄗ ㄔㄨ ㄌㄞˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bái daozi̊h jìncyù, hóng daozi̊h chulái
    • Wade–Giles: pai² tao¹-tzŭ⁵ chin⁴-chʻü⁴, hung² tao¹-tzŭ⁵ chʻu¹-lai²
    • Yale: bái dāu-dz jìn-chyù-, húng dāu-dz chū-lái
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: bair dau.tzy jinnchiuh, horng dau.tzy chulai
    • Palladius: бай даоцзы цзиньцюй, хун даоцзы чулай (baj daoczy czinʹcjuj, xun daoczy čulaj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /paɪ̯³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵⁵ d͡z̥z̩² t͡ɕin⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕʰy⁵¹ xʊŋ³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵⁵ d͡z̥z̩² ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ laɪ̯³⁵/

Idiom

白刀子進去，紅刀子出來

1. (colloquial) to kill; to murder

   Synonym: 白刀子進，紅刀子出 / 白刀子进，红刀子出 (bái dāozi jìn, hóng dāozi chū)