一寸光陰一寸金，寸金難買寸光陰

一寸光陰一寸金，寸金難買寸光陰

Chinese

		one; single; a one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)	a unit of length	bright and dark; light and shade; time	one; single; a one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)	a unit of length	metal; gold; money		a unit of length	metal; gold; money	disaster; distress; to scold disaster; distress; to scold; difficult (to...); problem; difficulty; difficult; not good	buy	a unit of length	bright and dark; light and shade; time
trad. (一寸光陰一寸金，寸金難買寸光陰)		一	寸	光陰	一	寸	金	，	寸	金	難	買	寸	光陰
simp. (一寸光阴一寸金，寸金难买寸光阴)		一	寸	光阴	一	寸	金	，	寸	金	难	买	寸	光阴
Literally: “An inch of time is an inch of gold, but an inch of time cannot be purchased with an inch of gold.”

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yī cùn guāngyīn yī cùn jīn, cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāngyīn

  (Zhuyin): ㄧ ㄘㄨㄣˋ ㄍㄨㄤ ㄧㄣ ㄧ ㄘㄨㄣˋ ㄐㄧㄣ, ㄘㄨㄣˋ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄋㄢˊ ㄇㄞˇ ㄘㄨㄣˋ ㄍㄨㄤ ㄧㄣ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jat¹ cyun³ gwong¹ jam¹ jat¹ cyun³ gam¹, cyun³ gam¹ naan⁴ maai⁵ cyun³ gwong¹ jam¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: yī cùn guāngyīn yī cùn jīn, cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāngyīn [Phonetic: yí cùn guāngyīn yí cùn jīn, cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāngyīn]
    • Zhuyin: ㄧ ㄘㄨㄣˋ ㄍㄨㄤ ㄧㄣ ㄧ ㄘㄨㄣˋ ㄐㄧㄣ, ㄘㄨㄣˋ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄋㄢˊ ㄇㄞˇ ㄘㄨㄣˋ ㄍㄨㄤ ㄧㄣ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: i tsuenn guangin i tsuenn jin, tsuenn jin nan mae tsuenn guangin
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yi cùn guangyin yi cùn jin, cùn jin nán mǎi cùn guangyin
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ t͡sʰwən⁵¹ kwɑŋ⁵⁵ in⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ t͡sʰwən⁵¹ t͡ɕin⁵⁵ t͡sʰwən⁵¹ t͡ɕin⁵⁵ nän³⁵ maɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ t͡sʰwən⁵¹ kwɑŋ⁵⁵ in⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: jat¹ cyun³ gwong¹ jam¹ jat¹ cyun³ gam¹, cyun³ gam¹ naan⁴ maai⁵ cyun³ gwong¹ jam¹
    • Yale: yāt chyun gwōng yām yāt chyun gām, chyun gām nàahn máaih chyun gwōng yām
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jat⁷ tsyn³ gwong¹ jam¹ jat⁷ tsyn³ gam¹, tsyn³ gam¹ naan⁴ maai⁵ tsyn³ gwong¹ jam¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yed¹ qun³ guong¹ yem¹ yed¹ qun³ gem¹, qun³ gem¹ nan⁴ mai⁵ qun³ guong¹ yem¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐt̚⁵ t͡ʃʰyːn³³ kʷɔːŋ⁵⁵ jɐm⁵⁵ jɐt̚⁵ t͡ʃʰyːn³³ kɐm⁵⁵ t͡ʃʰyːn³³ kɐm⁵⁵ näːn²¹ mäːi̯¹³ t͡ʃʰyːn³³ kʷɔːŋ⁵⁵ jɐm⁵⁵/

Proverb

一寸光陰一寸金，寸金難買寸光陰

1. Time is extremely precious; Money cannot buy you time