韋編三絕

Chinese

		surname; soft leather	weave; plait; organize weave; plait; organize; group; arrange; edit; compile; write; compose; fabricate	three	cut short; extinct; to disappear cut short; extinct; to disappear; to vanish; absolutely; by no means
trad. (韋編三絕)		韋	編	三	絕
simp. (韦编三绝)		韦	编	三	绝
alternative forms		三絕韋編／三绝韦编
Literally: “the leather binding (of the bamboo scroll)​ has broken three times”.

Etymology

From the story of Confucius studying the Classic of Changes so diligently that the tanned leather threads which connected the bamboo slips broke several times.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wéibiānsānjué

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄟˊ ㄅㄧㄢ ㄙㄢ ㄐㄩㄝˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): wai⁴ pin¹ saam¹ zyut⁶, wai⁵ pin¹ saam¹ zyut⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wéibiānsānjué
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄟˊ ㄅㄧㄢ ㄙㄢ ㄐㄩㄝˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wéibiansanjyué
    • Wade–Giles: wei²-pien¹-san¹-chüeh²
    • Yale: wéi-byān-sān-jywé
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: weibiansanjyue
    • Palladius: вэйбяньсаньцзюэ (vɛjbjanʹsanʹczjue)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯³⁵ pi̯ɛn⁵⁵ sän⁵⁵ t͡ɕy̯ɛ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: wai⁴ pin¹ saam¹ zyut⁶, wai⁵ pin¹ saam¹ zyut⁶
    • Yale: wàih pīn sāam jyuht, wáih pīn sāam jyuht
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wai⁴ pin¹ saam¹ dzyt⁹, wai⁵ pin¹ saam¹ dzyt⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: wei⁴ pin¹ sam¹ jud⁶, wei⁵ pin¹ sam¹ jud⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɐi̯²¹ pʰiːn⁵⁵ saːm⁵⁵ t͡syːt̚²/, /wɐi̯¹³ pʰiːn⁵⁵ saːm⁵⁵ t͡syːt̚²/

Idiom

韋編三絕

1. (figurative) to study diligently