火中取栗

Chinese

		fire; angry; fierce fire; angry; fierce; fiery; thriving	middle; centre; within middle; centre; within; among; in; while (doing something); during; China; Chinese; hit (the mark)	to take; to get; to choose to take; to get; to choose; to fetch	chestnut
trad. (火中取栗)		火	中	取	栗
simp. #(火中取栗)		火	中	取	栗

Etymology

From the fable The Monkey and the Cat.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): huǒzhōngqǔlì

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄨㄛˇ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄑㄩˇ ㄌㄧˋ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: huǒzhōngqǔlì
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄨㄛˇ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄑㄩˇ ㄌㄧˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: huǒjhongcyǔlì
    • Wade–Giles: huo³-chung¹-chʻü³-li⁴
    • Yale: hwǒ-jūng-chyǔ-lì
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: huoojongcheulih
    • Palladius: хочжунцюйли (xočžuncjujli)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ li⁵¹/

Idiom

火中取栗

1. to pull someone's chestnuts out of the fire; to be someone's cat's-paw