垂頭喪氣

Chinese

	to hang or bow one's head	to feel disheartened; to lose heart; to become crestfallen to feel disheartened; to lose heart; to become crestfallen; disheartened; dejected; dispirited
trad. (垂頭喪氣)	垂頭	喪氣
simp. (垂头丧气)	垂头	丧气
Literally: “to bow one's head and lose heart”.

Etymology

From “Goodbye to Penury” (《送窮文》) by Han Yu (韓愈):

主人於是垂頭喪氣，上手稱謝，燒車與船，延之上座。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

主人于是垂头丧气，上手称谢，烧车与船，延之上座。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

Zhǔrén yúshì chuítóusàngqì, shàngshǒu chēngxiè, shāo chē yǔ chuán, yán zhī shàngzuò. [Pinyin]

The master then bowed his head and felt disheartened, raised his hand to thank them [the ghosts of poverty], burned the cart and boat, and invited them to the seat of honour.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): chuítóusàngqì
(Zhuyin): ㄔㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄡˊ ㄙㄤˋ ㄑㄧˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): seoi⁴ tau⁴ song³ hei³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: chuítóusàngqì
  - Zhuyin: ㄔㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄡˊ ㄙㄤˋ ㄑㄧˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: chuéitóusàngcì
  - Wade–Giles: chʻui²-tʻou²-sang⁴-chʻi⁴
  - Yale: chwéi-tóu-sàng-chì
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chweitoursanqchih
  - Palladius: чуйтоусанци (čujtousanci)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰweɪ̯³⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ sɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕʰi⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: seoi⁴ tau⁴ song³ hei³
  - Yale: sèuih tàuh song hei
  - Cantonese Pinyin: soey⁴ tau⁴ song³ hei³
  - Guangdong Romanization: sêu⁴ teo⁴ song³ héi³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɵy̯²¹ tʰɐu̯²¹ sɔːŋ³³ hei̯³³/

Middle Chinese: /d͡ʑiuᴇ dəu sɑŋ^H kʰɨi^H/

Rime
Character	垂	頭	喪	氣
Reading #	1/1	1/1	2/2	1/2
Initial (聲)	常 (25)	定 (7)	心 (16)	溪 (29)
Final (韻)	支 (12)	侯 (137)	唐 (101)	微 (20)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Departing (H)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Open	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	I	I	III
Fanqie	是爲切	度侯切	蘇浪切	去旣切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/d͡ʑiuᴇ/	/dəu/	/sɑŋ^H/	/kʰɨi^H/
Pan Wuyun	/d͡ʑʷiɛ/	/dəu/	/sɑŋ^H/	/kʰɨi^H/
Shao Rongfen	/d͡ʑjuɛ/	/dəu/	/sɑŋ^H/	/kʰiəi^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/d͡ʑwiə̆/	/dəw/	/saŋ^H/	/kʰɨj^H/
Li Rong	/ʑiue/	/du/	/sɑŋ^H/	/kʰiəi^H/
Wang Li	/ʑǐwe/	/dəu/	/sɑŋ^H/	/kʰĭəi^H/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʑwie̯/	/dʱə̯u/	/sɑŋ^H/	/kʰe̯i^H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	chuí	tóu	sàng	qì
Expected Cantonese Reflex	seoi⁴	tau⁴	song³	hei³

Idiom

垂頭喪氣

dispirited; dejected; frustrated
他受一點挫折就垂頭喪氣了。 [MSC, trad.]
他受一点挫折就垂头丧气了。 [MSC, simp.]
Tā shòu yīdiǎn cuòzhé jiù chuítóusàngqì le. [Pinyin]
He became frustrated after experiencing a little setback.

Synonyms

(Min Nan) 𥓍垂