鷸蚌相爭

Chinese

		common snipe	oysters; mussels	to conflict; to contend; to fight each other for
trad. (鷸蚌相爭)		鷸	蚌	相爭
simp. (鹬蚌相争)		鹬	蚌	相争
Literally: “snipe and oyster fight each other”.

Etymology

See 鷸蚌相爭，漁人得利／鹬蚌相争，渔人得利 (yùbàng xiāngzhēng, yúrén délì).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yùbàngxiāngzhēng

(Zhuyin): ㄩˋ ㄅㄤˋ ㄒㄧㄤㄓㄥ
Cantonese (Jyutping): wat⁶ pong⁵ soeng¹ zang¹ / leot⁶ pong⁵ soeng¹ zang¹ / jyut⁶ pong⁵ soeng¹ zang¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yùbàngxiāngzhēng
  - Zhuyin: ㄩˋ ㄅㄤˋ ㄒㄧㄤㄓㄥ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yùbàngsiangjheng
  - Wade–Giles: yü⁴-pang⁴-hsiang¹-chêng¹
  - Yale: yù-bàng-syāng-jēng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yuhbanqshiangjeng
  - Palladius: юйбансянчжэн (jujbansjančžɛn)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /y⁵¹⁻⁵³ pɑŋ⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: wat⁶ pong⁵ soeng¹ zang¹ / leot⁶ pong⁵ soeng¹ zang¹ / jyut⁶ pong⁵ soeng¹ zang¹
  - Yale: waht póhng sēung jāng / leuht póhng sēung jāng / yuht póhng sēung jāng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: wat⁹ pong⁵ soeng¹ dzang¹ / loet⁹ pong⁵ soeng¹ dzang¹ / jyt⁹ pong⁵ soeng¹ dzang¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: wed⁶ pong⁵ sêng¹ zeng¹ / lêd⁶ pong⁵ sêng¹ zeng¹ / yud⁶ pong⁵ sêng¹ zeng¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɐt̚² pʰɔːŋ¹³ sœːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɐŋ⁵⁵/, /lɵt̚² pʰɔːŋ¹³ sœːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɐŋ⁵⁵/, /jyːt̚² pʰɔːŋ¹³ sœːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɐŋ⁵⁵/

Idiom

鷸蚌相爭

neighbors who can't agree lose out to a third party
- 肅清日寇吾儕事，鷸蚌相爭笑列侯。 [MSC, trad.]
  肃清日寇吾侪事，鹬蚌相争笑列侯。 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 1941, 朱德 (Zhu De), 《和董必武同志七絕》之三
  Sùqīng rìkòu wúchái shì, yùbàngxiāngzhēng xiào lièhóu. [Pinyin]
  It is our task to drive Japanese invaders away;
  How foolish to fight at home while others smile at the fray.

Derived terms

鷸蚌相持，漁人得利 / 鹬蚌相持，渔人得利
鷸蚌相爭，漁人得利 / 鹬蚌相争，渔人得利 (yùbàng xiāngzhēng, yúrén délì)
鷸蚌相爭，漁人獲利 / 鹬蚌相争，渔人获利
鷸蚌相爭，漁翁得利 / 鹬蚌相争，渔翁得利 (yùbàngxiàngzhēng , yúwēngdélì)