既生瑜，何生亮

既生瑜，何生亮

Chinese

		already; since; both... (and...)	to be born; to give birth; life to be born; to give birth; life; to grow; student; raw	excellence; luster of gems		carry; what; how carry; what; how; why; which	to be born; to give birth; life to be born; to give birth; life; to grow; student; raw	light; bright
trad. (既生瑜，何生亮)		既	生	瑜	，	何	生	亮
simp. #(既生瑜，何生亮)		既	生	瑜	，	何	生	亮
Literally: “Since Yu has already been born, so why was Liang ever born?”.

Etymology

Zhou Yu was young and ambitious, but was always being upstaged by Zhuge Liang, who was more talented.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jì shēng Yú, hé shēng Liàng

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧˋ ㄕㄥ ㄩˊ, ㄏㄜˊ ㄕㄥ ㄌㄧㄤˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gei³ sang¹ jyu⁴, ho⁴ sang¹ loeng⁶
• Min Nan (POJ): kì seng Jû, hô seng Liāng

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jì shēng Yú, hé shēng Liàng
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧˋ ㄕㄥ ㄩˊ, ㄏㄜˊ ㄕㄥ ㄌㄧㄤˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jì sheng Yú, hé sheng Liàng
    • Wade–Giles: chi⁴ shêng¹ Yü²- ho² shêng¹ Liang⁴
    • Yale: jì shēng Yú-, hé shēng Lyàng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jih sheng Yu, her sheng Lianq
    • Palladius: цзи шэн Юй, хэ шэн Лян (czi šɛn Juj, xɛ šɛn Ljan)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi⁵¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ y³⁵ xɤ³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ ljɑŋ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: gei³ sang¹ jyu⁴, ho⁴ sang¹ loeng⁶
    • Yale: gei sāng yùh, hòh sāng leuhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gei³ sang¹ jy⁴, ho⁴ sang¹ loeng⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: géi³ seng¹ yu⁴, ho⁴ seng¹ lêng⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kei̯³³ sɐŋ⁵⁵ jyː²¹ hɔː²¹ sɐŋ⁵⁵ lœːŋ²²/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kì seng Jû, hô seng Liāng
    • Tâi-lô: kì sing Jû, hô seng Liāng
    • IPA (Xiamen): /ki²¹⁻⁵³ ɕiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² d͡zu²⁴ ho²⁴⁻²² ɕiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² liaŋ²²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ki⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ ɕiɪŋ³³ d͡zu²⁴ ho²⁴⁻²² ɕiɪŋ³³ liaŋ⁴¹/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ki²¹⁻⁵³ ɕiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² d͡zu¹³ ho¹³⁻²² ɕiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² liaŋ²²/
    • IPA (Taipei): /ki¹¹⁻⁵³ ɕiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ d͡zu²⁴ ho²⁴⁻¹¹ ɕiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ liaŋ³³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ki²¹⁻⁴¹ ɕiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ zu²³ hɤ²³⁻³³ ɕiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ liaŋ³³/

Idiom

既生瑜，何生亮

1. used to lament the fact that there is someone better than you who is outshining you at every turn; to bemoan a new contender

   • 微軟掐架索尼　遊戲機既生瑜何生亮 [MSC, trad.]
     微软掐架索尼　游戏机既生瑜何生亮 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2005: 程实 (Cheng Shi), 微软掐架索尼 游戏机既生瑜何生亮

     Wēiruǎn qiājià Suǒní, yóuxìjī jì shēng Yú hé shēng Liàng [Pinyin]

     Microsoft dukes it out with Sony; Video game console makers bemoan the new contender