泥菩薩過江——自身難保

Chinese

		restrained; mud; paste restrained; mud; paste; pulp	bodhisattva; kind-hearted person; kind and charitable person	to cross a river		to be in trouble oneself
trad. (泥菩薩過江——自身難保)		泥	菩薩	過江	——	自身難保
simp. (泥菩萨过江——自身难保)		泥	菩萨	过江	——	自身难保
alternative forms		泥菩薩過江，自身難保／泥菩萨过江，自身难保
Literally: “a clay bodhisattva statue crosses the river ― unable to even protect oneself”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): nípúsàguòjiāng, zìshēnnánbǎo

  (Zhuyin): ㄋㄧˊ ㄆㄨˊ ㄙㄚˋ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄐㄧㄤ , ㄗˋ ㄕㄣ ㄋㄢˊ ㄅㄠˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): nai⁴ pou⁴ saat³ gwo³ gong¹, zi⁶ san¹ naan⁴ bou²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: nípúsàguòjiāng, zìshēnnánbǎo
    • Zhuyin: ㄋㄧˊ ㄆㄨˊ ㄙㄚˋ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄐㄧㄤ , ㄗˋ ㄕㄣ ㄋㄢˊ ㄅㄠˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: nípúsàguòjiang, zìhshennánbǎo
    • Wade–Giles: ni²-pʻu²-sa⁴-kuo⁴-chiang¹, tzŭ⁴-shên¹-nan²-pao³
    • Yale: ní-pú-sà-gwò-jyāng-, dz̀-shēn-nán-bǎu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: nipwusahguohjiang, tzyhshennanbao
    • Palladius: нипусагоцзян, цзышэньнаньбао (nipusagoczjan, czyšɛnʹnanʹbao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ni³⁵ pʰu³⁵ sä⁵¹⁻⁵³ ku̯ɔ⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹ ʂən⁵⁵ nän³⁵ pɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: nai⁴ pou⁴ saat³ gwo³ gong¹, zi⁶ san¹ naan⁴ bou²
    • Yale: nàih pòuh saat gwo gōng, jih sān nàahn bóu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: nai⁴ pou⁴ saat⁸ gwo³ gong¹, dzi⁶ san¹ naan⁴ bou²
    • Guangdong Romanization: nei⁴ pou⁴ sad³ guo³ gong¹, ji⁶ sen¹ nan⁴ bou²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /nɐi̯²¹ pʰou̯²¹ saːt̚³ kʷɔː³³ kɔːŋ⁵⁵ t͡siː²² sɐn⁵⁵ naːn²¹ pou̯³⁵/

Idiom

泥菩薩過江——自身難保

1. to be in trouble oneself and thus unable to help others