tube
in
peep; pry into
leopard; panther
trad. (管中窺豹)
管
中
窺
豹
simp. (管中窥豹)
管
中
窥
豹
Etymology
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From Shishuo Xinyu, Chapter 5:
王子敬數歲時，嘗看諸門生樗蒲。見有勝負，因曰：“南風不競。”門生輩輕其小兒，迺曰：“此郎亦管中窺豹，時見一斑。” [Literary Chinese, trad.]王子敬数岁时，尝看诸门生樗蒲。见有胜负，因曰：“南风不竞。”门生辈轻其小儿，乃曰：“此郎亦管中窥豹，时见一斑。” [Literary Chinese, simp.]From: Liu Yiqing (editor), A New Account of the Tales of the World, 5th century CEWáng Zǐjìng shù suì shí, cháng kàn zhū ménshēng chūpú. Jiàn yǒu shèngfù, yīn yuē: “Nánfēng bù jìng.” Ménshēng bèi qīng qí xiǎo'ér, nǎi yuē: “Cǐ láng yì guǎn zhōng kuī bào, shí jiàn yī bān.” [Pinyin]When Wang Hsien-chih was only a few years of age, he was once watching his father's pupils playing chaupar (an ancient game like dice-throwing). Seeing in advance who was going to win or lose, he said, “‘The southern airs can't compete (with the northern).’”! The pupils, belittling him because he was a small boy, then said, “This lad’s another case of someone ‘peeping at a leopard through a tube’; every now and then he sees a spot.”
Pronunciation
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Mandarin
(Pinyin): guǎnzhōngkuībào
(Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄢˇ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄎㄨㄟ ㄅㄠˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): gun2 zung1 kwai1 paau3
Mandarin
(Standard Chinese)+
Hanyu Pinyin: guǎnzhōngkuībào
Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄢˇ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄎㄨㄟ ㄅㄠˋ
Tongyong Pinyin: guǎnjhongkueibào
Wade–Giles: kuan3-chung1-kʻuei1-pao4
Yale: gwǎn-jūng-kwēi-bàu
Gwoyeu Romatzyh: goanjongkueibaw
Palladius: гуаньчжункуйбао (guanʹčžunkujbao)
Sinological IPA (key): /ku̯än²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ kʰu̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ pɑʊ̯⁵¹/
Cantonese
(Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
Jyutping: gun2 zung1 kwai1 paau3
Yale: gún jūng kwāi paau
Cantonese Pinyin: gun2 dzung1 kwai1 paau3
Guangdong Romanization: gun2 zung1 kuei1 pao3
Sinological IPA (key): /kuːn³⁵ t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ kʷʰɐi̯⁵⁵ pʰaːu̯³³/
Middle Chinese: kwanX trjuwng khjwie paewH
Rime
Character
管
中
窺
豹
Reading #
1/1
1/2
1/1
1/1
Initial (聲)
見 (28)
知 (9)
溪 (29)
幫 (1)
Final (韻)
桓 (62)
東 (2)
支 (12)
肴 (90)
Tone (調)
Rising (X)
Level (Ø)
Level (Ø)
Departing (H)
Openness (開合)
Closed
Open
Closed
Open
Division (等)
I
III
III
II
Fanqie
古滿切
陟弓切
去隨切
北敎切
Baxter
kwanX
trjuwng
khjwie
paewH
Reconstructions
ZhengzhangShangfang
/kuɑnX/
/ʈɨuŋ/
/kʰiuᴇ/
/pˠauH/
PanWuyun
/kʷɑnX/
/ʈiuŋ/
/kʰʷiɛ/
/pᵚauH/
ShaoRongfen
/kuɑnX/
/ȶiuŋ/
/kʰjuɛ/
/pauH/
EdwinPulleyblank
/kwanX/
/ʈuwŋ/
/kʰwiə̆/
/paɨwH/
LiRong
/kuɑnX/
/ȶiuŋ/
/kʰiue/
/pauH/
WangLi
/kuɑnX/
/ȶĭuŋ/
/kʰǐwe/
/pauH/
BernhardKarlgren
/kuɑnX/
/ȶi̯uŋ/
/kʰwie̯/
/pauH/
ExpectedMandarinReflex
guǎn
zhōng
kuī
bào
ExpectedCantoneseReflex
gun2
zung1
fai1
baau3
Idiom
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管中窺豹
to see only part of the big picture; to have only a limited view of something