莫待無花空折枝

See also: 莫待无花空折枝

Chinese

		do not; there is none who	wait; treat; deal with wait; treat; deal with; need; about; intending to do something; stay; delay	not have	flower; blossom; to spend flower; blossom; to spend; fancy pattern	emptied; leisure; air emptied; leisure; air; sky; empty; in vain	tenth (in price); to break; to fold tenth (in price); to break; to fold; to turn; broken (as of rope, stick)	branch; (a measure word)
trad. (莫待無花空折枝)		莫	待	無	花	空	折	枝
simp. (莫待无花空折枝)		莫	待	无	花	空	折	枝

Etymology

See 花開堪折直須折／花开堪折直须折 (huā kāi kān zhé zhí xū zhé).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): mò dài wú huā kōng zhé zhī

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄛˋ ㄉㄞˋ ㄨˊ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄎㄨㄥ ㄓㄜˊ ㄓ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: mò dài wú huā kōng zhé zhī
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄛˋ ㄉㄞˋ ㄨˊ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄎㄨㄥ ㄓㄜˊ ㄓ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: mò dài wú hua kong jhé jhih
    • Wade–Giles: mo⁴ tai⁴ wu² hua¹ kʻung¹ chê² chih¹
    • Yale: mwò dài wú hwā kūng jé jr̄
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: moh day wu hua kong jer jy
    • Palladius: мо дай у хуа кун чжэ чжи (mo daj u xua kun čžɛ čži)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ taɪ̯⁵¹ u³⁵ xu̯ä⁵⁵ kʰʊŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

Proverb

莫待無花空折枝

1. Seize the day; carpe diem.

   • 這誰也不能怪，只能怪自己，輕易不肯愛上，愛了又不肯輕易放下，雖說花開堪折直須折，莫待無花空折枝，但是享受著愛情之花的時候，即使折了，又怎樣？不還是一樣結不出婚姻之果嗎。 [MSC, trad.]
     这谁也不能怪，只能怪自己，轻易不肯爱上，爱了又不肯轻易放下，虽说花开堪折直须折，莫待无花空折枝，但是享受着爱情之花的时候，即使折了，又怎样？不还是一样结不出婚姻之果吗。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2005, 安妮玫瑰 (Anne Rose), 翡翠护身符 (Excerpt from "The Jadeite Amulet")

     Zhè shéi yě bùnéng guài, zhǐ néng guài zìjǐ, qīngyì bùkěn àishàng, ài le yòu bùkěn qīngyì fàngxià, suī shuō huā kāi kān zhé zhí xū zhé, mò dài wú huā kōng zhé zhī, dànshì xiǎngshòu zhe àiqíng zhī huā de shíhòu, jíshǐ zhé le, yòu zěnyàng? Bù háishì yīyàng jié bù chū hūnyīn zhī guǒ ma. [Pinyin]

     No one is to blame but me for this. I was so casual and unwilling to commit to love. Then, when I did fall in love, I was unwilling to casually let it go. People always say things like carpe diem and gather ye rosebuds while ye may. But, when it comes to enjoying the rosebuds of love, even if you gather them, then what? Isn't the result the same, that we can never be married?

Synonyms

• 花開堪折直須折／花开堪折直须折 (huā kāi kān zhé zhí xū zhé)