醉翁之意不在酒

Chinese

			's; him/her/it; this	idea; meaning; wish idea; meaning; wish; desire; Italy (abbrev.)	not; no	(located) at; in; exist (located) at; in; exist; (before verbs) immediately involved in; right in the middle of doing	alcoholic drink
trad. (醉翁之意不在酒)		醉翁	之	意	不	在	酒
simp. #(醉翁之意不在酒)		醉翁	之	意	不	在	酒

Etymology

Quoted from Ouyang Xiu's Account of the Drunkard's Pavilion:

醉翁之意不在酒，在乎山水之間也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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醉翁之意不在酒，在乎山水之间也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Song dynasty, Ouyang Xiu, 《醉翁亭記》

Zuìwēng zhī yì bù zài jiǔ, zàihū shānshuǐ zhījiān yě. [Pinyin]

The "Old Drunk" isn't interested in alcohol but scenery of mountains and rivers.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zuìwēngzhīyì bù zài jiǔ

  (Zhuyin): ㄗㄨㄟˋ ㄨㄥ ㄓ ㄧˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄐㄧㄡˇ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zuìwēngzhīyì bù zài jiǔ [Phonetic: zuìwēngzhīyì bú zài jiǔ]
    • Zhuyin: ㄗㄨㄟˋ ㄨㄥ ㄓ ㄧˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄐㄧㄡˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: zuèiwongjhihyì bù zài jiǒu
    • Wade–Giles: tsui⁴-wêng¹-chih¹-i⁴ pu⁴ tsai⁴ chiu³
    • Yale: dzwèi-wēng-jr̄-yì bù dzài jyǒu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzueyuengjyyih bu tzay jeou
    • Palladius: цзуйвэнчжии бу цзай цзю (czujvɛnčžii bu czaj czju)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡su̯eɪ̯⁵¹ wəŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ i⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

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• Middle Chinese: tswijH 'uwng tsyi 'iH pjuw|pjuwX|pjut dzojX|dzojH tsjuwX

Rime
Character	醉	翁	之	意	不	不	不	在	在	酒
Reading #	1/1	1/1	1/1	1/1	1/3	2/3	3/3	1/2	2/2	1/1
Initial (聲)	精 (13)	影 (34)	章 (23)	影 (34)	幫 (1)	幫 (1)	幫 (1)	從 (15)	從 (15)	精 (13)
Final (韻)	脂 (16)	東 (1)	之 (19)	之 (19)	尤 (136)	尤 (136)	文 (60)	咍 (41)	咍 (41)	尤 (136)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Departing (H)	Level (Ø)	Rising (X)	Checked (Ø)	Rising (X)	Departing (H)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Closed	Open	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	I	III	III	III	III	III	I	I	III
Fanqie	將遂切	烏紅切	止而切	於記切	甫鳩切	方久切	分勿切	昨宰切	昨代切	子酉切
Baxter	tswijH	'uwng	tsyi	'iH	pjuw	pjuwX	pjut	dzojX	dzojH	tsjuwX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡siuɪH/	/ʔuŋ/	/t͡ɕɨ/	/ʔɨH/	/pɨu/	/pɨuX/	/pɨut̚/	/d͡zʌiX/	/d͡zʌiH/	/t͡sɨuX/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡sʷiH/	/ʔuŋ/	/t͡ɕɨ/	/ʔɨH/	/piu/	/piuX/	/piut̚/	/d͡zəiX/	/d͡zəiH/	/t͡siuX/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡sjuɪH/	/ʔuŋ/	/t͡ɕie/	/ʔieH/	/piəu/	/piəuX/	/piuət̚/	/d͡zɒiX/	/d͡zɒiH/	/t͡siəuX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/t͡swiH/	/ʔəwŋ/	/cɨ/	/ʔɨH/	/puw/	/puwX/	/put̚/	/d͡zəjX/	/d͡zəjH/	/t͡suwX/
Li Rong	/t͡suiH/	/ʔuŋ/	/t͡ɕiə/	/ʔiəH/	/piu/	/piuX/	/piuət̚/	/d͡zᴀiX/	/d͡zᴀiH/	/t͡siuX/
Wang Li	/t͡swiH/	/uŋ/	/t͡ɕĭə/	/ĭəH/	/pĭəu/	/pĭəuX/	/pĭuət̚/	/d͡zɒiX/	/d͡zɒiH/	/t͡sĭəuX/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡swiH/	/ʔuŋ/	/t͡ɕi/	/ʔiH/	/pi̯ə̯u/	/pi̯ə̯uX/	/pi̯uət̚/	/d͡zʱɑ̆iX/	/d͡zʱɑ̆iH/	/t͡si̯ə̯uX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zuì	wēng	zhī	yì	fōu	fǒu	fu	zài	zài	jiǔ
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zeoi3	ung1	zi1	ji3	fau1	fau2	fat1	zoi6	zoi6	zau2

Idiom

醉翁之意不在酒

1. (figuratively) to have other intentions
2. (figuratively) to have an ulterior motive

Synonyms

• (to have other intentions): 項莊舞劍，意在沛公／项庄舞剑，意在沛公 (Xiàng Zhuāng wǔ jiàn, yì zài Pèigōng)
• (to have an ulterior motive): 別有用心／别有用心 (biéyǒuyòngxīn)