肩不能挑擔，手不能提籃

Chinese

		shoulder	cannot; must not; should not cannot; must not; should not; to be unable to; to fail to	incite; carry on a pole; choose	to carry on shoulder; to undertake; shoulder pole to carry on shoulder; to undertake; shoulder pole; burden; load; responsibility; picul (133.33 lbs.)		hand; convenient; ‑er	cannot; must not; should not cannot; must not; should not; to be unable to; to fail to	hand-basket; basket with handle
trad. (肩不能挑擔，手不能提籃)		肩	不能	挑	擔	，	手	不能	提籃
simp. (肩不能挑担，手不能提篮)		肩	不能	挑	担	，	手	不能	提篮
Literally: “unable to carry a load on one's shoulders or a basket in one's hands”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jiān bùnéng tiāodàn, shǒu bùnéng tílán

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄢ ㄅㄨˋ ㄋㄥˊ ㄊㄧㄠ ㄉㄢˋ , ㄕㄡˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄋㄥˊ ㄊㄧˊ ㄌㄢˊ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jiān bùnéng tiāodàn, shǒu bùnéng tílán
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄢ ㄅㄨˋ ㄋㄥˊ ㄊㄧㄠ ㄉㄢˋ , ㄕㄡˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄋㄥˊ ㄊㄧˊ ㄌㄢˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jian bùnéng tiaodàn, shǒu bùnéng tílán
    • Wade–Giles: chien¹ pu⁴-nêng² tʻiao¹-tan⁴, shou³ pu⁴-nêng² tʻi²-lan²
    • Yale: jyān bù-néng tyāu-dàn-, shǒu bù-néng tí-lán
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jian buneng tiaudann, shoou buneng tyilan
    • Palladius: цзянь бунэн тяодань, шоу бунэн тилань (czjanʹ bunɛn tjaodanʹ, šou bunɛn tilanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ nɤŋ³⁵ tʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ tän⁵¹ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ nɤŋ³⁵ tʰi³⁵ län³⁵/

Idiom

肩不能挑擔，手不能提籃

1. (figuratively) to lack physical strength and be incapable of manual labor

Synonyms

• 肩不能挑，手不能提 (jiān bùnéng tiāo, shǒu bùnéng tí)