雞肋

See also: 鸡肋

Chinese

		fowl; chicken	rib
trad. (雞肋/鷄肋)		雞/鷄	肋
simp. (鸡肋)		鸡	肋

Etymology

The figurative sense is from a story about Yang Xiu's interpretation of Cao Cao's thoughts in Sanguozhi , and became well known through its adapted version in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms:

夫雞肋，棄之如可惜，食之無所得，以比漢中，知王欲還也。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

夫鸡肋，弃之如可惜，食之无所得，以比汉中，知王欲还也。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: Chen Shou, Records of the Three Kingdoms, circa 3^rd century CE

Fū jīlèi, qì zhī rú kěxī, shí zhī wú suǒdé, yǐ bǐ hànzhōng, zhī wáng yù hái yě. [Pinyin]

As for chicken ribs, it's pitiful to throw them away, yet there is not much (meat) to eat. If we know that the King (Cao Cao) is using them to compare Hanzhong, we can know that he wants to retreat.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): jīlèi, jīlè

(Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄌㄟˋ, ㄐㄧㄌㄜˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): gai¹ lak⁶
Southern Min (Teochew, Peng'im): goi¹ lêg⁸

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, Mainland Standard)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: jīlèi
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄌㄟˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jilèi
  - Wade–Giles: chi¹-lei⁴
  - Yale: jī-lèi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiley
  - Palladius: цзилэй (czilɛj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi⁵⁵ leɪ̯⁵¹/
- (Standard Chinese, Taiwan Standard)
  - Hanyu Pinyin: jīlè
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄌㄜˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jilè
  - Wade–Giles: chi¹-lê⁴
  - Yale: jī-lè
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jileh
  - Palladius: цзилэ (czilɛ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi⁵⁵ lɤ⁵¹/
  - Homophones:
    [Show/Hide]
    ^edit
    ^edit
    羈勒 / 羁勒
    雞肋 / 鸡肋
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: gai¹ lak⁶
  - Yale: gāi lahk
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gai¹ lak⁹
  - Guangdong Romanization: gei¹ leg⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɐi̯⁵⁵ lɐk̚²/
Southern Min
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: goi¹ lêg⁸
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: koi le̍k
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /koi³³⁻²³ lek̚⁴/

Middle Chinese: kej lok

Rime
Character	雞	肋
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)	來 (37)
Final (韻)	齊 (39)	德 (131)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	IV	I
Fanqie	古奚切	盧則切
Baxter	kej	lok
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kei/	/lək̚/
Pan Wuyun	/kei/	/lək̚/
Shao Rongfen	/kɛi/	/lək̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kɛj/	/lək̚/
Li Rong	/kei/	/lək̚/
Wang Li	/kiei/	/lək̚/
Bernhard Karlgren	/kiei/	/lək̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jī	lè
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gai¹	lak⁶

Noun

雞肋

chicken ribs
(figurative) thing of little value or interest, yet pitiable if given up or thrown away