投筆從戎

投筆從戎

Chinese

		to cease writing; to forsake the pen	to join the army; to enlist
trad. (投筆從戎)		投筆	從戎
simp. (投笔从戎)		投笔	从戎
Literally: “to lay down the pen and take up the sword”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): tóubǐcóngróng

  (Zhuyin): ㄊㄡˊ ㄅㄧˇ ㄘㄨㄥˊ ㄖㄨㄥˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): tau⁴ bat¹ cung⁴ jung⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: tóubǐcóngróng
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄡˊ ㄅㄧˇ ㄘㄨㄥˊ ㄖㄨㄥˊ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tourbiitsorngrong
    • IPA ^(key): /tʰoʊ̯³⁵ pi²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ t͡sʰʊŋ³⁵ ʐʊŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: tau⁴ bat¹ cung⁴ jung⁴
    • Yale: tàuh bāt chùhng yùhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tau⁴ bat⁷ tsung⁴ jung⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: teo⁴ bed¹ cung⁴ yung⁴
    • IPA ^(key): /tʰɐu̯²¹ pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰʊŋ²¹ jʊŋ²¹/

Idiom

投筆從戎

1. (of a scholar) to join the military