防民之口，甚於防川

防民之口，甚於防川

Chinese

		to protect; to defend; to guard (against)	the people; nationality; citizen	's; him/her/it; this	mouth; (a measure word, for people, livestock or utensils)		very; extremely; more (than) very; extremely; more (than); what	in; at; to in; at; to; from; by; than; out of; surname	to protect; to defend; to guard (against)	river; creek; plain river; creek; plain; an area of level country; Sichuan province (abbrev.)
trad. (防民之口，甚於防川)		防	民	之	口	，	甚	於	防	川
simp. (防民之口，甚于防川)		防	民	之	口	，	甚	于	防	川

Etymology

From Guoyu:

防民之口，甚於防川。川壅而潰，傷人必多，民亦如之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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防民之口，甚于防川。川壅而溃，伤人必多，民亦如之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Guoyu, circa 4^th century BCE

Fángmínzhīkǒu, shènyúfángchuān. Chuān yōng ér kuì, shāng rén bì duō, mín yì rú zhī. [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this example)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): fángmínzhīkǒu, shènyúfángchuān

  (Zhuyin): ㄈㄤˊ ㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄓ ㄎㄡˇ, ㄕㄣˋ ㄩˊ ㄈㄤˊ ㄔㄨㄢ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): fong⁴ man⁴ zi¹ hau², sam⁶ jyu¹ fong⁴ cyun¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: fángmínzhīkǒu, shènyúfángchuān
    • Zhuyin: ㄈㄤˊ ㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄓ ㄎㄡˇ, ㄕㄣˋ ㄩˊ ㄈㄤˊ ㄔㄨㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: fángmínjhihkǒu, shènyúfángchuan
    • Wade–Giles: fang²-min²-chih¹-kʻou³- shên⁴-yü²-fang²-chʻuan¹
    • Yale: fáng-mín-jr̄-kǒu-, shèn-yú-fáng-chwān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: farngminjykoou, shennyufarngchuan
    • Palladius: фанминьчжикоу, шэньюйфанчуань (fanminʹčžikou, šɛnʹjujfančuanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fɑŋ³⁵ min³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ kʰoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ ʂən⁵¹ y³⁵ fɑŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰwän⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: fong⁴ man⁴ zi¹ hau², sam⁶ jyu¹ fong⁴ cyun¹
    • Yale: fòhng màhn jī háu, sahm yū fòhng chyūn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: fong⁴ man⁴ dzi¹ hau², sam⁶ jy¹ fong⁴ tsyn¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: fong⁴ men⁴ ji¹ heo², sem⁶ yu¹ fong⁴ qun¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fɔːŋ²¹ mɐn²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ hɐu̯³⁵ sɐm²² jyː⁵⁵ fɔːŋ²¹ t͡ʃʰyːn⁵⁵/

Idiom

防民之口，甚於防川

1. It is more sinister and ominous to stop civilians from speaking than to block the river flows.