百無一用是書生

百無一用是書生

Chinese

			be; yes; this	scholar; intellectual; pedantic scholar
trad. (百無一用是書生)		百無一用	是	書生
simp. (百无一用是书生)		百无一用	是	书生

Etymology

From a line in 雜感, a poem written by Qing dynasty poet Huang Jingren.

十有九人堪白眼，百無一用是書生。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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十有九人堪白眼，百无一用是书生。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: 1768, 黃景仁, 雜感

Shí yǒu jiǔ rén kān báiyǎn, bǎiwúyīyòng shì shūshēng. [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this example)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bǎiwúyīyòng shì shūshēng

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄞˇ ㄨˊ ㄧ ㄩㄥˋ ㄕˋ ㄕㄨ ㄕㄥ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: bǎiwúyīyòng shì shūshēng [Phonetic: bǎiwúyíyòng shì shūshēng]
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄞˇ ㄨˊ ㄧ ㄩㄥˋ ㄕˋ ㄕㄨ ㄕㄥ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: baewuiyonq shyh shusheng
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bǎiwúyiyòng shìh shusheng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ u³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ jʊŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʂu⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵/

Proverb

百無一用是書生

1. Scholars (intellectuals) are good for nothing.