綢繆

See also: 绸缪

Chinese

		(light) silk	to wind round; surname
trad. (綢繆)		綢	繆
simp. (绸缪)		绸	缪

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): chóumóu
(Zhuyin): ㄔㄡˊ ㄇㄡˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): cau⁴ mau⁴
Wu (Wiktionary): zeu meu (T3)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Pinyin: chóumóu
  - Zhuyin: ㄔㄡˊ ㄇㄡˊ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chourmou
  - IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰoʊ̯³⁵ moʊ̯³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: cau⁴ mau⁴
  - Yale: chàuh màuh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: tsau⁴ mau⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: ceo⁴ meo⁴
  - IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɐu̯²¹ mɐu̯²¹/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: zeu meu (T3)
  - IPA ^(key): /z̻ɜ²² mɜ⁴⁴/

Middle Chinese: /ɖɨu mɨu|miɪu/▼

Rime
Character	綢	繆	繆
Reading #	2/2	1/4	2/4
Initial (聲)	澄 (11)	明 (4)	明 (4)
Final (韻)	尤 (136)	尤 (136)	幽 (138)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III	III
Fanqie	直由切	莫浮切	武彪切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɖɨu/	/mɨu/	/miɪu/
Pan Wuyun	/ɖiu/	/miu/	/mɨu/
Shao Rongfen	/ȡiəu/	/miəu/	/mieu/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɖuw/	/muw/	/mjiw/
Li Rong	/ȡiu/	/miu/	/miĕu/
Wang Li	/ȡĭəu/	/mĭəu/	/miəu/
Bernard Karlgren	/ȡʱi̯ə̯u/	/mi̯ə̯u/	/mieu/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	chóu	móu	miáo

Old Chinese▼
(Zhengzhang): /*dɯw mlɯw|mɡrɯw/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	綢	繆	繆
Reading #	2/2	1/4	2/4
No.	17527	8372	8390
Phonetic component	周	翏	翏
Rime group	幽	幽	幽
Rime subdivision	2	2	2
Corresponding MC rime	儔	謀	繆
Old Chinese	/*dɯw/	/*mlɯw/	/*mɡrɯw/

Adjective

綢繆

(literary, ideophonic) bound tightly; bound round and round; winding round
未雨綢繆 / 未雨绸缪 ― wèiyǔchóumóu ― to plan ahead (lit. to bind tightly the window before it rains)
- 綢繆束薪，三星在天。今夕何夕，見此良人。子兮子兮，如此良人何。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  绸缪束薪，三星在天。今夕何夕，见此良人。子兮子兮，如此良人何。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: The Classic of Poetry, circa 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
  Chóumóu shù xīn, sānxīng zài tiān. Jīn xī hé xī, jiàn cǐ liángrén. Zǐ xī zǐ xī, rú cǐ liángrén hé. [Pinyin]
  Round and round the firewood is bound;
  And the Three Stars appear in the sky.
  This evening is what evening,
  That I see this good man?
  O me! O me!
  That I should get a good man like this!
- 宜未雨而綢繆，毋臨渴而掘井。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  宜未雨而绸缪，毋临渴而掘井。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: Zhu Yongchun, Zhu Zi's Family Maxims, 17^th century CE
  Yí wèi yǔ ér chóumóu, wú lín kě ér jué jǐng. [Pinyin]
  One should, when it is not yet raining, bind tightly the window. One should not wait until one is thirsty to dig a well.
  i.e. One should prepare before it is too late.
(literary, ideophonic) numerous and dense; closely crowded
(literary) extending into the distance; continuous; uninterrupted
(literary, figuratively) showing deep and everlasting affection; sentimentally attached; ardent

Derived terms

交橫綢繆／交横绸缪
未雨綢繆／未雨绸缪 (wèiyǔchóumóu)
桑土綢繆／桑土绸缪
綢繆帳扆／绸缪帐扆
綢繆帷帳／绸缪帷帐

綢繆帷幄／绸缪帷幄
綢繆未雨／绸缪未雨
綢繆束薪／绸缪束薪
綢繆桑土／绸缪桑土
綢繆牖戶／绸缪牖户

Verb

綢繆

(literary, figuratively) to plan ahead; to prepare in advance

Japanese

Kanji in this term
綢	繆
ちゅう Hyōgaiji	びゅう Hyōgaiji
on’yomi

Noun

綢繆 (hiragana ちゅうびゅう, rōmaji chūbyū)

coiled about, tied and tied thread
familiar, close

Derived terms

合 (ごう)歓 (かん)綢 (ちゅう)繆 (びゅう) (gōkanchūbyū)
未 (み)雨 (う)綢 (ちゅう)繆 (びゅう) (miuchūbyū)