賢內助

Chinese

		worthy (person)	internal help; wife
trad. (賢內助)		賢	內助
simp. (贤内助)		贤	内助

Etymology

First attested in 1345, in History of Song:

宣仁太后語帝曰：「得賢內助，非細事也。」 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

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宣仁太后语帝曰：「得贤内助，非细事也。」 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: 1345 CE, Toqto'a (lead editor), History of Song

Xuānréntàihòu yù dì yuē: “Dé xiánnèizhù, fēi xìshì yě.” [Pinyin]

Empress Gao told the Emperor that acquiring a virtuous internal helper is by no means a trivial matter.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiánnèizhù

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄢˊ ㄋㄟˋ ㄓㄨˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jin⁴ noi⁶ zo⁶
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): hiân-lōe-chō͘

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiánnèizhù
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢˊ ㄋㄟˋ ㄓㄨˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siánnèijhù
    • Wade–Giles: hsien²-nei⁴-chu⁴
    • Yale: syán-nèi-jù
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyanneyjuh
    • Palladius: сяньнэйчжу (sjanʹnɛjčžu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɛn³⁵ neɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jin⁴ noi⁶ zo⁶
    • Yale: yìhn noih joh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jin⁴ noi⁶ dzo⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: yin⁴ noi⁶ zo⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiːn²¹ nɔːi̯²² t͡sɔː²²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hiân-lōe-chō͘
    • Tâi-lô: hiân-luē-tsōo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hienloexzo
    • IPA (Xiamen): /hiɛn²⁴⁻²² lue²²⁻²¹ t͡sɔ²²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /hiɛn²⁴⁻²² lue⁴¹⁻²² t͡sɔ⁴¹/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /hiɛn¹³⁻²² lue²²⁻²¹ t͡sɔ²²/
    • IPA (Taipei): /hiɛn²⁴⁻¹¹ lue³³⁻¹¹ t͡sɔ³³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /hiɛn²³⁻³³ lue³³⁻²¹ t͡sɔ³³/

Noun

賢內助

1. virtuous and capable wife, especially one who manages household affairs well and supports her husband in his career or work; better half; (honorific) your good wife

Synonyms

• 賢內／贤内
• 賢助／贤助