雞骨支床

See also: 鸡骨支床

Chinese

		chicken bone; skinny, bony body; gaunt figure	(a measure word); to support; to sustain (a measure word); to support; to sustain; to erect; to raise; branch; division; to draw money	bed; couch; (a measure word)
trad. (雞骨支床/雞骨支牀)		雞骨	支	床/牀
simp. (鸡骨支床)		鸡骨	支	床

Etymology

The original meaning was that, when relatives died, people would grieve excessively and become thin and weary on sleeping mats. Later used by analogy to mean that people could finish their filial duty if they attended their parents' funeral(s). Also means "very thin".

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jīgǔzhīchuáng

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧ ㄍㄨˇ ㄓ ㄔㄨㄤˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gai¹ gwat¹ zi¹ cong⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jīgǔzhīchuáng
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧ ㄍㄨˇ ㄓ ㄔㄨㄤˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jigǔjhihchuáng
    • Wade–Giles: chi¹-ku³-chih¹-chʻuang²
    • Yale: jī-gǔ-jr̄-chwáng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiguujychwang
    • Palladius: цзигучжичуан (czigučžičuan)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi⁵⁵ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ɑŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: gai¹ gwat¹ zi¹ cong⁴
    • Yale: gāi gwāt jī chòhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gai¹ gwat⁷ dzi¹ tsong⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: gei¹ gued¹ ji¹ cong⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɐi̯⁵⁵ kʷɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ t͡sʰɔːŋ²¹/

Idiom

雞骨支床

1. very thin; gaunt; emaciated