蟾宮折桂

See also: 蟾宫折桂

Chinese

	Toad Palace; the Moon	to break off osmanthus sprigs
trad. (蟾宮折桂)	蟾宮	折桂
simp. (蟾宫折桂)	蟾宫	折桂
Literally: “to break off osmanthus [blossoms] in the Toad Palace”.

Etymology

The phrase alludes to several Chinese legends: one that credited the phases of the moon to a great osmanthus tree (桂 (guì)) growing and shedding its leaves and blossoms each month; another granting the immortal Chang'e an enormous mansion on the moon (月宮／月宫 (yuègōng)), whose grounds included the tree; another (older than the Chang'e stories) seeing a pareidolic toad in the shadows of the moon and associating the toad with good luck and wealth (金蟾 (jīnchán)). Branches of sweet-smelling blossoms from the tree were thought to (rarely) fall to Earth and grant good luck to whosoever found them. The association with the tests had to do with the holding of the examinations around the time of the blossoming of the osmanthus and the Mid-Autumn Festival honoring its connections to the moon and Chang'e.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): chángōngzhéguì
(Zhuyin): ㄔㄢˊ ㄍㄨㄥㄓㄜˊ ㄍㄨㄟˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): sim⁴ gung¹ zit³ gwai³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: chángōngzhéguì
  - Zhuyin: ㄔㄢˊ ㄍㄨㄥㄓㄜˊ ㄍㄨㄟˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: chángongjhéguèi
  - Wade–Giles: chʻan²-kung¹-chê²-kuei⁴
  - Yale: chán-gūng-jé-gwèi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: charngongjerguey
  - Palladius: чаньгунчжэгуй (čanʹgunčžɛguj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰän³⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ³⁵ kweɪ̯⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: sim⁴ gung¹ zit³ gwai³
  - Yale: sìhm gūng jit gwai
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sim⁴ gung¹ dzit⁸ gwai³
  - Guangdong Romanization: xim⁴ gung¹ jid³ guei³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /siːm²¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡siːt̚³ kʷɐi̯³³/

Idiom

蟾宮折桂

(historical) to pass the imperial examination