無人問津

Chinese

		devoid of people; depopulated	to make inquiries about a ferry crossing; to make inquiries
trad. (無人問津)		無人	問津
simp. (无人问津)		无人	问津

Etymology

From Story of the Peach Blossom Spring:

南陽劉子驥，高尚士也，聞之，欣然規往。未果，尋病終。後遂無問津者。 [MSC, trad.]

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南阳刘子骥，高尚士也，闻之，欣然规往。未果，寻病终。后遂无问津者。 [MSC, simp.]

From: Tao Yuanming, Story of the Peach Blossom Spring'

Nányáng Liú Zǐjì, gāoshàng shì yě, wén zhī, xīnrán guī wǎng. Wèiguǒ, xún bìng zhōng. Hòu suì wú wènjīn zhě. [Pinyin]

Liu Ziji from Nanyang was a person of integrity. When he heard about the Peach Blossom Spring, he joyfully planned a visit, but eventually died before being able to reach there. Since then there have been no one trying to search for the Peach Blossom Spring.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wúrénwènjīn

  (Zhuyin): ㄨˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄨㄣˋ ㄐㄧㄣ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mou⁵ jan⁴ man⁶ zeon¹
• Southern Min (Teochew, Peng'im): bho⁵ nang⁵ mung⁷ zing¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wúrénwènjīn
    • Zhuyin: ㄨˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄨㄣˋ ㄐㄧㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wúrénwùnjin
    • Wade–Giles: wu²-jên²-wên⁴-chin¹
    • Yale: wú-rén-wèn-jīn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wurenwennjin
    • Palladius: ужэньвэньцзинь (užɛnʹvɛnʹczinʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u³⁵ ʐən³⁵ wən⁵¹ t͡ɕin⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: mou⁵ jan⁴ man⁶ zeon¹
    • Yale: móuh yàhn mahn jēun
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mou⁵ jan⁴ man⁶ dzoen¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: mou⁵ yen⁴ men⁶ zên¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mou̯¹³ jɐn²¹ mɐn²² t͡sɵn⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: bho⁵ nang⁵ mung⁷ zing¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: bô nâng mūng tsing
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /bo⁵⁵⁻¹¹ naŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ muŋ¹¹ t͡siŋ³³/

Idiom

無人問津

1. nobody is interested; unpopular; unattractive