順我者昌，逆我者嫖娼

Chinese

		to obey; to follow; to arrange to obey; to follow; to arrange; to make reasonable; along; favourable	I; me	‑ist, ‑er (person); person (who does sth)	prosperous; flourish		contrary; opposite; backwards contrary; opposite; backwards; to go against; to oppose; to betray; to rebel	I; me	‑ist, ‑er (person); person (who does sth)	to visit prostitutes; to engage the services of prostitutes
trad. (順我者昌，逆我者嫖娼)		順	我	者	昌	，	逆	我	者	嫖娼
simp. (顺我者昌，逆我者嫖娼)		顺	我	者	昌	，	逆	我	者	嫖娼
Literally: “Those who obey me prosper; those who oppose me are sex-buyers.”

Etymology

A pun based on the phrase 順我者昌，逆我者亡／顺我者昌，逆我者亡 (shùn wǒ zhě chāng, nì wǒ zhě wáng), by replacing 亡 (wáng) with 嫖娼 (piáochāng, “to visit prostitutes”), of which the second syllable 娼 (chāng) is homophonous with the last word 昌 (chāng) in the first half of the phrase. This pun refers to the practice of framing dissidents for visiting prostitutes by the PRC government.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shùn wǒ zhě chāng, nì wǒ zhě piáochāng

  (Zhuyin): ㄕㄨㄣˋ ㄨㄛˇ ㄓㄜˇ ㄔㄤ , ㄋㄧˋ ㄨㄛˇ ㄓㄜˇ ㄆㄧㄠˊ ㄔㄤ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): seon⁶ ngo⁵ ze² coeng¹, jik⁶ ngo⁵ ze² piu⁴ coeng¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shùn wǒ zhě chāng, nì wǒ zhě piáochāng [Phonetic: shùnwózhěchāng,nìwózhěpiáochāng]
    • Zhuyin: ㄕㄨㄣˋ ㄨㄛˇ ㄓㄜˇ ㄔㄤ , ㄋㄧˋ ㄨㄛˇ ㄓㄜˇ ㄆㄧㄠˊ ㄔㄤ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shùn wǒ jhě chang, nì wǒ jhě piáochang
    • Wade–Giles: shun⁴ wo³ chê³ chʻang¹, ni⁴ wo³ chê³ pʻiao²-chʻang¹
    • Yale: shwùn wǒ jě chāng-, nì wǒ jě pyáu-chāng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shuenn woo jee chang, nih woo jee pyauchang
    • Palladius: шунь во чжэ чан, ни во чжэ пяочан (šunʹ vo čžɛ čan, ni vo čžɛ pjaočan)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂu̯ən⁵¹ wɔ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ⁵⁵ ni⁵¹ wɔ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pʰi̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: seon⁶ ngo⁵ ze² coeng¹, jik⁶ ngo⁵ ze² piu⁴ coeng¹
    • Yale: seuhn ngóh jé chēung, yihk ngóh jé pìuh chēung
    • Cantonese Pinyin: soen⁶ ngo⁵ dze² tsoeng¹, jik⁹ ngo⁵ dze² piu⁴ tsoeng¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: sên⁶ ngo⁵ zé² cêng¹, yig⁶ ngo⁵ zé² piu⁴ cêng¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɵn²² ŋɔː¹³ t͡sɛː³⁵ t͡sʰœːŋ⁵⁵ jɪk̚² ŋɔː¹³ t͡sɛː³⁵ pʰiːu̯²¹ t͡sʰœːŋ⁵⁵/

Phrase

順我者昌，逆我者嫖娼

1. (neologism, sarcastic) Powerful people or organizations (especially an Orwellian government) tend to frame and defame anyone opposing them.