Xiehouyu

Xiehouyu
Traditional Chinese	歇後語ご
Simplified Chinese	歇后语
Literal meaning	A saying with the latter-part suspended
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin xiēhòuyǔ Wade–Giles Hsieh1-hou4-yü3 Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Hit hauh yúh Jyutping Hit3 hau6 jyu5

Xiehouyu are a type of Chinese proverb consisting of a former segment that presents a novel scenario, and a latter provides the rationale thereof. One would often only state the first part, expecting the listener to know the second. Xiehouyu are examples of anapodota, a class of rhetorical device found across different languages. Compare English an apple a day (keeps the doctor away) and speak of the devil (and he shall appear).

The Chinese word xiehouyu may be literally translated as 'truncated witticism'. Puns are often involved in xiehouyu. In this case, the second part is derived from the first through one meaning, but then another possible meaning of the second part is taken as the true meaning. To create examples in English, one can say "get hospitalized" to mean "be patient", or "small transactions only" to mean "no big deal". Thus, a xiehouyu in one dialect can be unintelligible to a listener speaking another. Valuable linguistic data can sometimes be gleaned from ancient xiehouyu.

Origin

Xiehouyu have been coined since ancient times as short, funny and figurative sentences consisting of two parts. The leading part acts like a riddle, and the latter part completes the phrase.

Examples

• 外そと甥おい打だ燈籠どうろう——照あきら舅しゅうと (舊きゅう) / 外そと甥おい打だ灯とう笼——照あきら舅しゅうと (旧きゅう)
  • pinyin: wàishēng dǎ dēnglong — zhào jiù
  • translation: Nephew handling a lantern — illuminating his uncle/according to the old [way]
  • gloss: as usual, as before
  • Note: 舅しゅうと and 舊きゅう/旧きゅう are homophones, and 照あきら means "according to" as well as "to illuminate"
• 皇帝こうてい的てき女兒じょじ——不ふ愁嫁 / 皇帝こうてい的てき女おんな儿——不ふ愁嫁
  • pinyin: huángdì de nǚér — bù chóu jià
  • translation: The daughter of the emperor — need not worry that she cannot soon be wed
  • gloss: someone or something that is always wanted
• 鯉こい魚ぎょ吃水きっすい——吞吞吐吐 / 鲤鱼吃水きっすい——吞吞吐吐
  • pinyin: lǐyú chī shuǐ — tūntūn tǔtǔ
  • translation: Carp drinks water — swallow and spit
  • gloss: speaking hesitantly
  • Note: 吞吞吐吐 (swallow and spit) is used describe someone speaking hesitantly
• 二に萬まん五ご千せん里さと長ちょう征せい——任にん重道しげみち遠とお / 二に万まん五ご千里せんり长征——任にん重道しげみち远
  • pinyin: èrwàn wǔqiān lǐ chángzhēng — rènzhòngdàoyuǎn
  • translation: 25000 lis long Long March — arduous journey
• 蘆溝橋ろこうきょう上石かみいし獅子しし——數すう不ふ清きよし / 芦あし沟桥上石あげし狮子——数すう不ふ清きよし
  • pinyin: Lúgōuqiáo shang shí shīzi — shǔ bù qīng
  • translation: Stone lions on Lu Gou Bridge — uncountably many
  • gloss: A very large amount.
  • Note: There are numerous stone lions on Lu Gou Bridge.
• 茶ちゃ壺つぼ裏うら煮に餃子ぎょうざ——有ゆう口こう倒たおせ不出ふしゅつ / 茶ちゃ壶里煮に饺子——有ゆう口こう倒たおせ不出ふしゅつ
  • pinyin: cháhú lǐ zhǔ jiǎozi — yǒu kǒu dào bù chū
  • translation: Cooking dumplings in a tea kettle — cannot be poured out despite having an opening
  • gloss: unable to say something
  • Note: 口くち can mean both "opening" and "mouth".
• 船頭せんどう上じょう跑馬——走はし投なげ無む路みち / 船ふね头上跑马——走はし投とう无路
  • pinyin: chuántóu shang pǎo mǎ — zǒutóuwúlù
  • translation: Riding a horse on the ship's bow — nowhere to go
• 打破だは沙すな鍋なべ——璺（問とい）到底とうてい / 打破だは沙すな锅——（问）璺到底そこ
  • pinyin: dǎ pò shāguō — wèn dào dǐ
  • translation: break a pot — cracks to the bottom
  • gloss: Insists to get to the bottom of a question or problem
  • Note: 璺 (means cracks) and 问/問とい (means ask) have the same pronunciation
• 滴水たるみず石せき穿ほじ——非ひ一いち日にち之の功こう / 滴水たるみず石せき穿ほじ——非ひ一いち日にち之の功こう
  • pinyin: dī shuǐ shí chuān — fēi yírì zhī gōng
  • translation: Water drops penetrates stone — not done in one day
• 電線でんせん桿上綁雞毛げ——好こう大だい的てき撣（膽きも）子こ / 电线杆上绑鸡毛げ——好こう大だい的てき掸（胆きも）子こ
  • pinyin: diàn xiàn gǎn shàng bǎng jī máo — hǎo dà de dǎn (dǎn) zi
  • translation: Tying chicken feathers on power pole — what a big feather duster
  • gloss: Being cocky
  • Note: 掸子 (duster) and 胆きも子こ (guts) have the same pronunciation
• 糞くそ坑あな裏うら的てき石頭いしあたま——又また臭くさ又また硬かた / 粪坑里さと的石まといし头——又また臭くさ又また硬かた
  • pinyin: fènkēng lǐ de shítou — yòu chòu yòu yìng
  • translation: stone in the cesspit — smelly and hard
  • gloss: To describe someone being stubborn
  • Note: 又また臭くさ又また硬かた literally means "smelly and hard", but is also used to say someone is stubborn
• 腳踩兩りょう隻せき船せん——搖ゆら擺不定ふてい / 脚あし踩两只ただ船せん——摇摆不定ふてい
  • pinyin: jiǎo cǎi liǎng zhī chuán — yáo bǎi bú dìng
  • translation: Each foot stepping on one boat — swinging back and forth
  • gloss: Unable to make a decision
  • Note: 摇摆/搖ゆら擺不定ふてい literally means "swinging back and forth", but is also used to express a situation where a decision is tough to be made
• 老ろう虎とら的てき屁へ股また——摸不得とく / 老ろう虎とら的てき屁へ股また——摸不得とく
  • pinyin: lǎohǔ de pìgu — mō bù dé
  • translation: Tiger's butt — mustn't touch
• 黃き鼠ねずみ狼おおかみ給きゅう雞拜年ねん——不ふ懷ふところ好意こうい / 黄き鼠ねずみ狼おおかみ给鸡拜はい年ねん——不ふ怀好意こうい
  • pinyin: huángshǔláng gěi jī bàinián — búhuáihǎoyì
  • translation: A Siberian weasel wishing Happy New Year to a chicken — harboring no good intention.
• 肉にく包子かねこ打だ狗いぬ——有ゆう去さ無む回かい / 肉にく 包子かねこ 打だ 狗いぬ —— 有ゆう 去さ 无 回かい
  • pinyin: ròu bāozi dǎ gǒu — yǒuqùwúhuí
  • translation: hitting a dog by throwing meat dumplings — gone, never returns
• 手榴彈しゅりゅうだん炸茅房ぼう——激げき起おこり公憤こうふん（糞くそ） / 手て榴弹炸茅房ぼう——激げき起おこり公こう愤（粪）
  • pinyin: shǒuliúdàn zhà máofáng — jī qǐ gōngfèn (fèn)
  • translation: Throwing grenade into a public toilet — stirring up public anger
  • Note: 愤/憤いきどお (anger of the public) and 粪/糞くそ (feces) have the same pronunciation

See also

• Chengyu: Chinese "set phrases" reflecting conventional wisdom
• Homophonic puns in Mandarin Chinese
• Proverbs commonly said to be Chinese

References

• Rohsenow, John Snowden. A Chinese-English dictionary of enigmatic folk similes (xiēhòuyǔ). Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1991.
• Encyclopedia of China. First Edition. Beijing; Shanghai: Encyclopedia of China Publishing House. 1980–1993.

External links

• A collection of xiehouyu (archived page)