投鼠忌器

Chinese

		to throw; to send	rat; mouse	avoid as taboo; jealous	device; tool; utensil
trad. (投鼠忌器)		投	鼠	忌	器
simp. #(投鼠忌器)		投	鼠	忌	器
Literally: “to hesitate to pelt a rat for fear of smashing the dishes beside it; spare the rat to save the dishes”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): tóushǔjìqì

  (Zhuyin): ㄊㄡˊ ㄕㄨˇ ㄐㄧˋ ㄑㄧˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): tau⁴ syu² gei⁶ hei³
• Southern Min (Teochew, Peng'im): dao⁵ ce² gi⁶ ki³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: tóushǔjìqì
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄡˊ ㄕㄨˇ ㄐㄧˋ ㄑㄧˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: tóushǔjìcì
    • Wade–Giles: tʻou²-shu³-chi⁴-chʻi⁴
    • Yale: tóu-shǔ-jì-chì
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tourshuujihchih
    • Palladius: тоушуцзици (toušuczici)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰoʊ̯³⁵ ʂu²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕʰi⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: tau⁴ syu² gei⁶ hei³
    • Yale: tàuh syú geih hei
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tau⁴ sy² gei⁶ hei³
    • Guangdong Romanization: teo⁴ xu² géi⁶ héi³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰɐu̯²¹ syː³⁵ kei̯²² hei̯³³/
• Southern Min
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: dao⁵ ce² gi⁶ ki³
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tâu tshṳ́ kĭ khì
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tau⁵⁵⁻¹¹ t͡sʰɯ⁵²⁻³⁵ ki³⁵⁻¹¹ kʰi²¹³/

Idiom

投鼠忌器

1. to be doubtful about acting against an evil

Synonyms

• 投鼠之忌
• 擲鼠忌器／掷鼠忌器