綢繆

See also: 绸缪

Chinese

		(light) silk	to wind round; surname
trad. (綢繆)		綢	繆
simp. (绸缪)		绸	缪

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chóumóu

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄡˊ ㄇㄡˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): cau⁴ mau⁴
• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶zeu-meu

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chóumóu
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄡˊ ㄇㄡˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chóumóu
    • Wade–Giles: chʻou²-mou²
    • Yale: chóu-móu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chourmou
    • Palladius: чоумоу (čoumou)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰoʊ̯³⁵ moʊ̯³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: cau⁴ mau⁴
    • Yale: chàuh màuh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsau⁴ mau⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: ceo⁴ meo⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɐu̯²¹ mɐu̯²¹/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶zeu-meu
    • MiniDict: zeu^去 meu
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³zeu-meu
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /zɤ²² mɤ⁴⁴/

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• Middle Chinese: drjuw mjuw|mjiw

Rime
Character	綢	繆	繆
Reading #	2/2	1/4	2/4
Initial (聲)	澄 (11)	明 (4)	明 (4)
Final (韻)	尤 (136)	尤 (136)	幽 (138)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III	III
Fanqie	直由切	莫浮切	武彪切
Baxter	drjuw	mjuw	mjiw
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɖɨu/	/mɨu/	/miɪu/
Pan Wuyun	/ɖiu/	/miu/	/mɨu/
Shao Rongfen	/ȡiəu/	/miəu/	/mieu/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɖuw/	/muw/	/mjiw/
Li Rong	/ȡiu/	/miu/	/miĕu/
Wang Li	/ȡĭəu/	/mĭəu/	/miəu/
Bernard Karlgren	/ȡʱi̯ə̯u/	/mi̯ə̯u/	/mieu/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	chóu	móu	miáo
Expected Cantonese Reflex	cau4	mau4	mau4

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*dɯw  mlɯw|mɡrɯw/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	綢	繆	繆
Reading #	2/2	1/4	2/4
No.	17527	8372	8390
Phonetic component	周	翏	翏
Rime group	幽	幽	幽
Rime subdivision	2	2	2
Corresponding MC rime	儔	謀	繆
Old Chinese	/*dɯw/	/*mlɯw/	/*mɡrɯw/

Adjective

綢繆

1. (literary, ideophonic) bound tightly; bound round and round; winding round

   未雨綢繆／未雨绸缪  ―  wèiyǔchóumóu  ―  to plan ahead (lit. to bind tightly the window before it rains)

   • 綢繆束薪，三星在天。今夕何夕？見此良人！子兮子兮！如此良人何！ [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     绸缪束薪，三星在天。今夕何夕？见此良人！子兮子兮！如此良人何！ [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Chóumóu shù xīn, sānxīng zài tiān. Jīn xī hé xī? Jiàn cǐ liángrén! Zǐ xī zǐ xī! Rú cǐ liángrén hé! [Pinyin]

     Round and round the firewood is bound;
     And the Three Stars appear in the sky.
     This evening is what evening,
     That I see this good man?
     O me! O me!
     That I should get a good man like this!

   • 宜未雨而綢繆，毋臨渴而掘井。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     宜未雨而绸缪，毋临渴而掘井。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhu Yongchun, Zhu Zi's Family Maxims, 17^th century CE

     Yí wèi yǔ ér chóumóu, wú lín kě ér jué jǐng. [Pinyin]

     One should, when it is not yet raining, bind tightly the window. One should not wait until one is thirsty to dig a well.
     i.e. One should prepare before it is too late.

2. (literary, ideophonic) numerous and dense; closely crowded
3. (literary) extending into the distance; continuous; uninterrupted
4. (literary, figurative) showing deep and everlasting affection; sentimentally attached; ardent

Derived terms

• 交橫綢繆／交横绸缪
• 未雨綢繆／未雨绸缪 (wèiyǔchóumóu)
• 桑土綢繆／桑土绸缪
• 綢繆帷帳／绸缪帷帐
• 綢繆帷幄／绸缪帷幄
• 綢繆帳扆／绸缪帐扆
• 綢繆未雨／绸缪未雨
• 綢繆束薪／绸缪束薪
• 綢繆桑土／绸缪桑土
• 綢繆牖戶／绸缪牖户

 

Related terms

• 纏綿／缠绵 (chánmián)

Verb

綢繆

1. (literary, figurative) to plan ahead; to prepare in advance

Japanese

Kanji in this term
綢	繆
ちゅう Hyōgai	びゅう Hyōgai
on'yomi

Noun

綢(ちゅう)繆(びゅう) • (chūbyū) 

1. coiled about, tied and tied thread
2. familiar, close

Derived terms

• 合(ごう)歓(かん)綢(ちゅう)繆(びゅう) (gōkanchūbyū)
• 未(み)雨(う)綢(ちゅう)繆(びゅう) (miuchūbyū)