芒刺在背

Chinese

		Miscanthus sinensis	thorn; sting; prick thorn; sting; prick; pierce; stab; thrust; assassinate; murder	(located) at; in; exist (located) at; in; exist; (before verbs) immediately involved in; right in the middle of doing	learn by heart; the back of the body; to be burdened learn by heart; the back of the body; to be burdened; to carry on the back or shoulder
trad. (芒刺在背)		芒	刺	在	背
simp. #(芒刺在背)		芒	刺	在	背

Etymology

From the Book of Han [circa 2nd century AD].

宣帝始立，謁見高廟，大將軍光從驂乘，上内嚴憚之，若有芒刺在背。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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宣帝始立，谒见高庙，大将军光从骖乘，上内严惮之，若有芒刺在背。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Han Shu

Xuāndì shǐ lì, yèjiàn gāo miào, dàjiāngjūn guāng cóng cān chéng, shàng nèi yán dàn zhī, ruò yǒu mángcìzàibèi. [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): mángcìzàibèi

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄤˊ ㄘˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄅㄟˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mong⁴ ci³ zoi⁶ bui³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: mángcìzàibèi
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄤˊ ㄘˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄅㄟˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: mángcìhzàibèi
    • Wade–Giles: mang²-tzʻŭ⁴-tsai⁴-pei⁴
    • Yale: máng-tsz̀-dzài-bèi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mangtsyhtzaybey
    • Palladius: манцыцзайбэй (mancyczajbɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɑŋ³⁵ t͡sʰz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ peɪ̯⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: mong⁴ ci³ zoi⁶ bui³
    • Yale: mòhng chi joih bui
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mong⁴ tsi³ dzoi⁶ bui³
    • Guangdong Romanization: mong⁴ qi³ zoi⁶ bui³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɔːŋ²¹ t͡sʰiː³³ t͡sɔːi̯²² puːi̯³³/

Idiom

芒刺在背

1. to be jittery; to be on pins and needles