神龍見首不見尾

See also: 神龙见首不见尾

Chinese

		God; unusual; mysterious God; unusual; mysterious; soul; spirit; divine essence; lively; spiritual being	dragon; imperial; surname	to see; to meet; to appear to see; to meet; to appear; to interview	head; chief; first (occasion) head; chief; first (occasion); first (thing); measure word for poems	not; no	to see; to meet; to appear to see; to meet; to appear; to interview	tail
trad. (神龍見首不見尾)		神	龍	見	首	不	見	尾
simp. (神龙见首不见尾)		神	龙	见	首	不	见	尾
Literally: “one can see the head of a heavenly dragon, but not the tail”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shén lóng jiàn shǒu bù jiàn wěi

  (Zhuyin): ㄕㄣˊ ㄌㄨㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄕㄡˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄨㄟˇ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shén lóng jiàn shǒu bù jiàn wěi [Phonetic: shén lóng jiàn shǒu bú jiàn wěi]
    • Zhuyin: ㄕㄣˊ ㄌㄨㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄕㄡˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄨㄟˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shén lóng jiàn shǒu bù jiàn wěi
    • Wade–Giles: shên² lung² chien⁴ shou³ pu⁴ chien⁴ wei³
    • Yale: shén lúng jyàn shǒu bù jyàn wěi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shern long jiann shoou bu jiann woei
    • Palladius: шэнь лун цзянь шоу бу цзянь вэй (šɛnʹ lun czjanʹ šou bu czjanʹ vɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂən³⁵ lʊŋ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ weɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Idiom

神龍見首不見尾

1. to maintain an air of mystery, to not reveal oneself; to play cat and mouse; to remain aloof

   • 在昨晚從廣東抵達北京後，喬丹也始終採取“神龍見首不見尾”的模式與一干中國媒體和中國球迷捉迷藏。 [MSC, trad.]
     在昨晚从广东抵达北京后，乔丹也始终采取“神龙见首不见尾”的模式与一干中国媒体和中国球迷捉迷藏。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2004: 郭凯 ed. (Guo Kai), 飞人“神龙见首不见尾” 乔丹没给中国男篮面子 (His Airness "is a no where to be found," Jordan disses Chinese basketball players)

     Zài zuówǎn cóng Guǎngdōng dǐdá Běijīng hòu, Qiáodān yě shǐzhōng cǎiqǔ “shénlóngjiànshǒubùjiànwěi” de móshì yǔ yī gān Zhōngguó méitǐ hé Zhōngguó qiúmí zhuōmícáng. [Pinyin]

     From the time Michael Jordan arrived in Beijing from Guangdong, he took the approach of remaining aloof, and played hide and seek with a slew of Chinese Media and fans.