先花後果

先花後果

Chinese

		early; prior; former early; prior; former; in advance; first	flower; blossom; to spend flower; blossom; to spend; fancy pattern	back; behind; rear back; behind; rear; afterwards; after; later	fruit; result
trad. (先花後果)		先	花	後	果
simp. (先花后果)		先	花	后	果
Literally: “to blossom flowers first and bear fruits afterwards”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiānhuāhòuguǒ

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄢ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄏㄡˋ ㄍㄨㄛˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sin¹ faa¹ hau⁶ gwo²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: xiānhuāhòuguǒ
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄏㄡˋ ㄍㄨㄛˇ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shianhuahowguuo
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sianhuahòuguǒ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕjɛn⁵⁵ xwä⁵⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹ kwɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: sin¹ faa¹ hau⁶ gwo²
    • Yale: sīn fā hauh gwó
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sin¹ faa¹ hau⁶ gwo²
    • Guangdong Romanization: xin¹ fa¹ heo⁶ guo²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siːn⁵⁵ fäː⁵⁵ hɐu̯²² kʷɔː³⁵/

Idiom

先花後果

1. (obsolete) to give birth to a girl first and then a boy

   • 生下三女一男：兒子名曰承祖，長女名玉英，次女名桃英，三女名月英。元來是先花後果的，倒是玉英居長，次即承祖。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     生下三女一男：儿子名曰承祖，长女名玉英，次女名桃英，三女名月英。元来是先花后果的，倒是玉英居长，次即承祖。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Feng Menglong, Stories to Awaken the World, 1627 CE

     Shēngxià sān nǚ yī nán: érzǐ míng yuē Chéngzǔ, chángnǚ míng Yùyīng, cìnǚ míng Táoyīng, sānnǚ míng Yuèyīng. Yuánlái shì xiānhuāhòuguǒ de, dǎoshì Yùyīng jū cháng, cì jí Chéngzǔ. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this example)