半斤八兩

半斤八兩

See also: 半斤八两

Chinese

		half	catty	eight	tael
trad. (半斤八兩)		半	斤	八	兩
simp. (半斤八两)		半	斤	八	两

Etymology

From the former Chinese measurement system, wherein one 斤 (jīn) was equal to 16 兩／两 (liǎng).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bànjīnbāliǎng

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄅㄚ ㄌㄧㄤˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): bun³ gan¹ baat³ loeng^5-2
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): pan-kîn-pat-liông

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bànjīnbāliǎng
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄅㄚ ㄌㄧㄤˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bànjinbaliǎng
    • Wade–Giles: pan⁴-chin¹-pa¹-liang³
    • Yale: bàn-jīn-bā-lyǎng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: bannjinbaleang
    • Palladius: баньцзиньбалян (banʹczinʹbaljan)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pän⁵¹ t͡ɕin⁵⁵ pä⁵⁵ ljɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: bun³ gan¹ baat³ loeng^5-2
    • Yale: bun gān baat léung
    • Cantonese Pinyin: bun³ gan¹ baat⁸ loeng^5-2
    • Guangdong Romanization: bun³ gen¹ bad³ lêng^5-2
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /puːn³³ kɐn⁵⁵ paːt̚³ lœːŋ¹³⁻³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: pan-kîn-pat-liông
    • Hakka Romanization System: ban gin´ bad` liong´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ban⁴ gin¹ bad⁵ liong¹
    • Sinological IPA: /pan⁵⁵ kin²⁴ pat̚² li̯oŋ²⁴/

Idiom

半斤八兩

1. (chiefly derogatory) six of one, half a dozen of the other; not much to choose between the two

Derived terms

半斤笑八兩／半斤笑八两