垂頭喪氣

Chinese

		to hang or bow one's head	to feel disheartened; to lose heart; to become crestfallen to feel disheartened; to lose heart; to become crestfallen; disheartened; dejected; dispirited
trad. (垂頭喪氣)		垂頭	喪氣
simp. (垂头丧气)		垂头	丧气
Literally: “to bow one's head and lose heart”.

Etymology

First attested in 811, in Goodbye to Penury (《送窮文》) by Han Yu (韓愈):

主人於是垂頭喪氣，上手稱謝，燒車與船，延之上座。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

---

主人于是垂头丧气，上手称谢，烧车与船，延之上座。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

Zhǔrén yúshì chuítóusàngqì, shàngshǒu chēngxiè, shāo chē yǔ chuán, yán zhī shàngzuò. [Pinyin]

The master then bowed his head and felt disheartened, raised his hand to thank them [the five ghosts of poverty], burned the cart and boat, and invited them to the seat of honour.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chuítóusàngqì

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄡˊ ㄙㄤˋ ㄑㄧˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): seoi⁴ tau⁴ song³ hei³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chuítóusàngqì
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄡˊ ㄙㄤˋ ㄑㄧˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chuéitóusàngcì
    • Wade–Giles: chʻui²-tʻou²-sang⁴-chʻi⁴
    • Yale: chwéi-tóu-sàng-chì
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chweitoursanqchih
    • Palladius: чуйтоусанци (čujtousanci)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰu̯eɪ̯³⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ sɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕʰi⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: seoi⁴ tau⁴ song³ hei³
    • Yale: sèuih tàuh song hei
    • Cantonese Pinyin: soey⁴ tau⁴ song³ hei³
    • Guangdong Romanization: sêu⁴ teo⁴ song³ héi³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɵy̯²¹ tʰɐu̯²¹ sɔːŋ³³ hei̯³³/

---

• Middle Chinese: dzywe duw sangH khj+jH

Rime
Character	垂	頭	喪	氣
Reading #	1/1	1/1	2/2	1/2
Initial (聲)	常 (25)	定 (7)	心 (16)	溪 (29)
Final (韻)	支 (12)	侯 (137)	唐 (101)	微 (20)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Departing (H)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Open	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	I	I	III
Fanqie	是爲切	度侯切	蘇浪切	去旣切
Baxter	dzywe	duw	sangH	khj+jH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/d͡ʑiuᴇ/	/dəu/	/sɑŋH/	/kʰɨiH/
Pan Wuyun	/d͡ʑʷiɛ/	/dəu/	/sɑŋH/	/kʰɨiH/
Shao Rongfen	/d͡ʑjuɛ/	/dəu/	/sɑŋH/	/kʰiəiH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/d͡ʑwiə̆/	/dəw/	/saŋH/	/kʰɨjH/
Li Rong	/ʑiue/	/du/	/sɑŋH/	/kʰiəiH/
Wang Li	/ʑǐwe/	/dəu/	/sɑŋH/	/kʰĭəiH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʑwie̯/	/dʱə̯u/	/sɑŋH/	/kʰe̯iH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	chuí	tóu	sàng	qì
Expected Cantonese Reflex	seoi4	tau4	song3	hei3

Idiom

垂頭喪氣

1. dispirited; dejected; frustrated

   他受一點挫折就垂頭喪氣了。 [MSC, trad.]
   他受一点挫折就垂头丧气了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā shòu yīdiǎn cuòzhé jiù chuítóusàngqì le. [Pinyin]

   He became frustrated after experiencing a little setback.

Synonyms

• (Hokkien) 𥓍垂