眾人皆醉我獨醒

Chinese

		everybody; everyone; normal people everybody; everyone; normal people; ordinary people; commoner	all; each and every; in all cases	intoxicated	I; me	alone; independent; single alone; independent; single; sole; only	to wake up; to awaken; to be awake
trad. (眾人皆醉我獨醒/衆人皆醉我獨醒)		眾人/衆人	皆	醉	我	獨	醒
simp. (众人皆醉我独醒)		众人	皆	醉	我	独	醒
Literally: “everyone is drunk and I am the only one sober”.

Etymology

From Chu Ci:

屈原曰：「舉世皆濁我獨清，眾人皆醉我獨醒，是以見放。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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屈原曰：「举世皆浊我独清，众人皆醉我独醒，是以见放。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Verses of Chu, 4^th century BCE – 2^nd century CE

Qūyuán yuē: “Jǔshì jiē zhuó wǒ dú qīng, zhòngrénjiēzuìwǒdúxǐng, shìyǐ jiàn fàng.” [Pinyin]

Qu Yuan replied, "The entire world is corrupt and I am clean alone; everyone is drunk while I am sober alone. Thus, I was exiled."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhòngrén jiē zuì wǒ dú xǐng

  (Zhuyin): ㄓㄨㄥˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄐㄧㄝ ㄗㄨㄟˋ ㄨㄛˇ ㄉㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄥˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zung³ jan⁴ gaai¹ zeoi³ ngo⁵ duk⁶ sing²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhòngrén jiē zuì wǒ dú xǐng
    • Zhuyin: ㄓㄨㄥˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄐㄧㄝ ㄗㄨㄟˋ ㄨㄛˇ ㄉㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄥˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhòngrén jie zuèi wǒ dú sǐng
    • Wade–Giles: chung⁴-jên² chieh¹ tsui⁴ wo³ tu² hsing³
    • Yale: jùng-rén jyē dzwèi wǒ dú syǐng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jonqren jie tzuey woo dwu shiing
    • Palladius: чжунжэнь цзе цзуй во ду син (čžunžɛnʹ cze czuj vo du sin)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵⁵ t͡su̯eɪ̯⁵¹ wɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ tu³⁵ ɕiŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zung³ jan⁴ gaai¹ zeoi³ ngo⁵ duk⁶ sing²
    • Yale: jung yàhn gāai jeui ngóh duhk síng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzung³ jan⁴ gaai¹ dzoey³ ngo⁵ duk⁹ sing²
    • Guangdong Romanization: zung³ yen⁴ gai¹ zêu³ ngo⁵ dug⁶ xing²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʊŋ³³ jɐn²¹ kaːi̯⁵⁵ t͡sɵy̯³³ ŋɔː¹³ tʊk̚² sɪŋ³⁵/

Idiom

眾人皆醉我獨醒

1. (figuratively) everyone is wrong while I am the only one correct; everyone is depraved while I am the only one virtuous

Synonyms

• 眾醉獨醒／众醉独醒