病西施

Chinese

		ailment; illness; disease ailment; illness; disease; fall ill; sick; defect	Xi Shi; beautiful woman
trad. (病西施)		病	西施
simp. #(病西施)		病	西施
Literally: “sick Xi Shi”.

Etymology

From a folk tradition that the beauty Xi Shi appeared even more beautiful when sick.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bìng Xīshī

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄧㄥˋ ㄒㄧ ㄕ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bìng Xīshī
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄧㄥˋ ㄒㄧ ㄕ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bìng Sishih
    • Wade–Giles: ping⁴ Hsi¹-shih¹
    • Yale: bìng Syī-shr̄
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: binq Shishy
    • Palladius: бин Сиши (bin Siši)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /piŋ⁵¹ ɕi⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

Noun

病西施

1. a beautiful sick person

   • 好個美人！真像個病西施了。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     好个美人！真像个病西施了。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Cao Xueqin, Dream of the Red Chamber, mid-18^th century CE

     Hǎo ge měirén! Zhēnxiàng ge bìng Xīshī le. [Pinyin]

     What a beauty! She really resembles a sick Xishi.