Chinese[edit]
Xiang Yu
hard; stiff; stronghard; stiff; strong; firm
up; on; on topup; on; on top; upon; first; previous or last; upper; higher; above; previous; to climb; to go into; to go up
a bow (weapon)
trad. (霸王硬上弓)
霸王
硬
上
弓
simp. #(霸王硬上弓)
霸王
硬
上
弓
Literally: “Xiang Yu (the overlord) attaches the bowstring”.
Etymology[edit]
It is said that the mighty leader Xiang Yu could bend a bow and attach the string with only one hand.
Pronunciation[edit]
Mandarin
(Pinyin): bàwáng yìng shàng gōng
(Zhuyin): ㄅㄚˋ ㄨㄤˊ ㄧㄥˋ ㄕㄤˋ ㄍㄨㄥ
Cantonese (Jyutping): baa3 wong4 ngaang6 soeng5 gung1
Mandarin
(Standard Chinese)+
Hanyu Pinyin: bàwáng yìng shàng gōng
Zhuyin: ㄅㄚˋ ㄨㄤˊ ㄧㄥˋ ㄕㄤˋ ㄍㄨㄥ
Tongyong Pinyin: bàwáng yìng shàng gong
Wade–Giles: pa4-wang2 ying4 shang4 kung1
Yale: bà-wáng yìng shàng gūng
Gwoyeu Romatzyh: bahwang yinq shanq gong
Palladius: баван ин шан гун (bavan in šan gun)
Sinological IPA (key): /pä⁵¹ wɑŋ³⁵ iŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂɑŋ⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵/
Cantonese
(Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
Jyutping: baa3 wong4 ngaang6 soeng5 gung1
Yale: ba wòhng ngaahng séuhng gūng
Cantonese Pinyin: baa3 wong4 ngaang6 soeng5 gung1
Guangdong Romanization: ba3 wong4 ngang6 sêng5 gung1
Sinological IPA (key): /paː³³ wɔːŋ²¹ ŋaːŋ²² sœːŋ¹³ kʊŋ⁵⁵/
Idiom[edit]
霸王硬上弓
(figurative) to do something by force
(euphemistic) to force oneself upon; to rape