四面楚歌

Chinese

		four directions; all sides; all around	distinct; clear; orderly distinct; clear; orderly; pain; suffering; ancient place name; surname	song
simp. and trad. (四面楚歌)		四面	楚	歌
Literally: “surrounded on four sides by the songs of Chu”.

Etymology

In reference to the Battle of Gaixia:

During the Chu–Han Contention, Xiang Yu (項羽) found himself besieged in the city of Gaixia (垓下), by the coalition force of Han and the other kings. Jiujiang fell to Ying Bu and Liu Jia the preceding month, and most of the Kingdom of Chu was occupied by the Han army. When he heard the besieging troops singing songs in the Chu accent, Xiang Yu knew his kingdom had fallen.

The situation was also mentioned in Consort Yu's poem to her husband Xiang Yu after his suicide:

漢兵已略地，四方楚歌聲。大王意氣盡，賤妾何聊生。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

---

汉兵已略地，四方楚歌声。大王意气尽，贱妾何聊生。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Correct Meaning of the Records of the Grand Historian, by Zhang Shoujie

Hàn bīng yǐ lüè dì, sìfāng chǔ gēshēng. Dàwáng yìqì jìn, jiànqiè hé liáoshēng. [Pinyin]

The Han army has conquered our land, Surrounded with the singing of Chu. My lord's spirits are low, Why then should I live?

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): sìmiànchǔgē

  (Zhuyin): ㄙˋ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄔㄨˇ ㄍㄜ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sei³ min⁶ co² go¹
• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵sy-mi ⁵tshu ¹ku

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: sìmiànchǔgē
    • Zhuyin: ㄙˋ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄔㄨˇ ㄍㄜ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sìhmiànchǔge
    • Wade–Giles: ssŭ⁴-mien⁴-chʻu³-ko¹
    • Yale: sz̀-myàn-chǔ-gē
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: syhmiannchuuge
    • Palladius: сымяньчугэ (symjanʹčugɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ mi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹ kɤ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: sei³ min⁶ co² go¹
    • Yale: sei mihn chó gō
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sei³ min⁶ tso² go¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: séi³ min⁶ co² go¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sei̯³³ miːn²² t͡sʰɔː³⁵ kɔː⁵⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁵sy-mi ⁵tshu ¹ku
    • MiniDict: sy^去 mi tshu^去 ku^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²sr-mi ²tshu ¹ku
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /sz̩³³ mi⁴⁴ t͡sʰu⁴⁴  ku⁵³/

Note: Tone sandhi within chengyu often vary from person to person..

Idiom

四面楚歌

1. facing hostility, difficulty, or frustration on all sides

   • 當地時間8月7日，四面楚歌的蘭迪斯為自己做出了最後的辯護。這是他在B瓶尿樣呈陽性結果被披露後接受的第一次採訪。 [MSC, trad.]
     当地时间8月7日，四面楚歌的兰迪斯为自己做出了最后的辩护。这是他在B瓶尿样呈阳性结果被披露后接受的第一次采访。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2006: Dongfang Zaobao staff, 四面楚歌最后辩护 兰迪斯：国际自联逼我上绝路 (Making a final defense while besieged on all sides --- Landis: UCI is leaving me with no options)

     Dāngdì shíjiān 8 yuè 7 rì, sìmiànchǔgē de Lándísī wèi zìjǐ zuò chū le zuìhòu de biànhù. Zhè shì tā zài B píng niàoyàng chéng yángxìng jiéguǒ bèi pīlù hòu jiēshòu de dìyīcì cǎifǎng. [Pinyin]

     Floyd Landis, besieged on all sides, put up a final defense on August 7, local time. This was his first interview since his B urine sample revealed the presence of testosterone.

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (四面楚歌):

• → Japanese: 四(し)面(めん)楚(そ)歌(か) (shimensoka)
• → Korean: 사면초가(四面楚歌) (samyeonchoga)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
四	面	楚	歌
し Grade: 1	めん Grade: 3	そ Jinmeiyō	か Grade: 2
on'yomi

Etymology

Yojijukugo (四字熟語), borrowed from Chinese 四面楚歌 (sìmiànchǔgē).

Noun

四(し)面(めん)楚(そ)歌(か) • (shimensoka) 

1. hostility, difficulty, or frustration on all sides

   この失敗(しっぱい)で私(わたし)はまったくの四面楚歌(しめんそか)に追(お)い込(こ)まれてしまった。

   Kono shippai de watashi wa mattaku no shimensoka ni oikomareteshimatta.

   As a result of this failure, I am now completely cut off and surrounded.

References

• 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.