群龍無首

Chinese

		crowd; flock; group	dragon; imperial; surname	not have	head; chief; first (occasion) head; chief; first (occasion); first (thing); measure word for poems
trad. (群龍無首/羣龍無首)		群/羣	龍	無	首
simp. (群龙无首)		群	龙	无	首

Etymology

From I Ching, Hexagram 1 (《易经·乾卦》):

用九：見群龍无首，吉。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]

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用九：见群龙无首，吉。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: I Ching, 11^th – 8^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Yòng jiǔ: jiàn qún lóng wú shǒu, jí. [Pinyin]

(The lines of this hexagram are all strong and undivided, as appears from) the use of the number NINE. If the host of dragons (thus) appearing were to divest themselves of their heads, there would be good fortune.

This term has been reinterpreted by taking 首 (shǒu) as "leader".

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qúnlóngwúshǒu

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄩㄣˊ ㄌㄨㄥˊ ㄨˊ ㄕㄡˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): kwan⁴ lung⁴ mou⁴ sau²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qúnlóngwúshǒu
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄩㄣˊ ㄌㄨㄥˊ ㄨˊ ㄕㄡˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: cyúnlóngwúshǒu
    • Wade–Giles: chʻün²-lung²-wu²-shou³
    • Yale: chyún-lúng-wú-shǒu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chyunlongwushoou
    • Palladius: цюньлунъушоу (cjunʹlunʺušou)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰyn³⁵ lʊŋ³⁵ u³⁵ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: kwan⁴ lung⁴ mou⁴ sau²
    • Yale: kwàhn lùhng mòuh sáu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: kwan⁴ lung⁴ mou⁴ sau²
    • Guangdong Romanization: kuen⁴ lung⁴ mou⁴ seo²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʷʰɐn²¹ lʊŋ²¹ mou̯²¹ sɐu̯³⁵/

Idiom

群龍無首

1. (of a group) to lack a leader