然然可可

Chinese

		so; thus; like this so; thus; like this; ‑ly; correct; right	so; thus; like this so; thus; like this; ‑ly; correct; right	cocoa; cacao
trad. (然然可可)		然	然	可可
simp. ^#(然然可可)		然	然	可可

Etymology

From Zhuangzi:

惡乎然？然於然。惡乎不然？不然於不然。惡乎可？可於可。惡乎不可？不可於不可。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

恶乎然？然于然。恶乎不然？不然于不然。恶乎可？可于可。恶乎不可？不可于不可。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Wūhū rán? Rán yú rán. Wūhū bù rán? Bù rán yú bù rán. Wūhū kě? Kě yú kě. Wūhū bù kě? Bù kě yú bù kě. [Pinyin]

How is a thing right? It is right because it is right. How is a thing wrong? It is wrong because it is wrong. How is a thing allowable? It is allowable because it is so. How is a thing not allowable? It is not allowable because it is not so.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): ránránkěkě
(Zhuyin): ㄖㄢˊ ㄖㄢˊ ㄎㄜˇ ㄎㄜˇ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: ránránkěkě [Phonetic: ránránkékě]
  - Zhuyin: ㄖㄢˊ ㄖㄢˊ ㄎㄜˇ ㄎㄜˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ránránkěkě
  - Wade–Giles: jan²-jan²-kʻo³-kʻo³
  - Yale: rán-rán-kě-kě
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ranrankeekee
  - Palladius: жаньжанькэкэ (žanʹžanʹkɛkɛ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʐän³⁵ ʐän³⁵ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Middle Chinese: /ȵiᴇn ȵiᴇn kʰɑ^X kʰɑ^X/

Rime
Character	然	可
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	日 (38)	溪 (29)
Final (韻)	仙 (77)	歌 (94)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	I
Fanqie	如延切	枯我切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ȵiᴇn/	/kʰɑ^X/
Pan Wuyun	/ȵiɛn/	/kʰɑ^X/
Shao Rongfen	/ȵʑjæn/	/kʰɑ^X/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ȵian/	/kʰa^X/
Li Rong	/ȵiɛn/	/kʰɑ^X/
Wang Li	/ȵʑĭɛn/	/kʰɑ^X/
Bernard Karlgren	/ȵʑi̯ɛn/	/kʰɑ^X/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	rán	kě
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jin⁴	ho²

Idiom

然然可可

(literary) to be a yes man without any opinions of one's own

Synonyms

唯唯諾諾／唯唯诺诺 (wéiwéinuònuò)