良禽擇木而棲

See also: 良禽择木而栖

Chinese

		good; very; very much	birds; fowl	to choose one's own master	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	to roost; to inhabit; to stay to roost; to inhabit; to stay; habitat
trad. (良禽擇木而棲)		良	禽	擇木	而	棲
simp. (良禽择木而栖)		良	禽	择木	而	栖

Etymology

良禽擇木而棲，賢臣擇主而事。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]

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良禽择木而栖，贤臣择主而事。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

From: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14^th century CE

Liángqín zémù ér qī, xiánchén zé zhǔ ér shì. [Pinyin]

A good bird chooses (for himself) the tree upon which to perch, the talented subject chooses (for himself) the lord that he shall serve.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): liángqín zé mù ér qī

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄤˊ ㄑㄧㄣˊ ㄗㄜˊ ㄇㄨˋ ㄦˊ ㄑㄧ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): loeng⁴ kam⁴ zaak⁶ muk⁶ ji⁴ cai¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: liángqín zé mù ér qī
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄤˊ ㄑㄧㄣˊ ㄗㄜˊ ㄇㄨˋ ㄦˊ ㄑㄧ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: liángcín zé mù ér ci
    • Wade–Giles: liang²-chʻin² tsê² mu⁴ êrh² chʻi¹
    • Yale: lyáng-chín dzé mù ér chī
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: liangchyn tzer muh erl chi
    • Palladius: лянцинь цзэ му эр ци (ljancinʹ czɛ mu er ci)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li̯ɑŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰin³⁵ t͡sɤ³⁵ mu⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: loeng⁴ kam⁴ zaak⁶ muk⁶ ji⁴ cai¹
    • Yale: lèuhng kàhm jaahk muhk yìh chāi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: loeng⁴ kam⁴ dzaak⁹ muk⁹ ji⁴ tsai¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: lêng⁴ kem⁴ zag⁶ mug⁶ yi⁴ cei¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lœːŋ²¹ kʰɐm²¹ t͡saːk̚² mʊk̚² jiː²¹ t͡sʰɐi̯⁵⁵/

Proverb

良禽擇木而棲

1. A talented person is free to choose his own boss.

Synonyms

• 良禽擇木／良禽择木 (liángqínzémù)