拿雞毛當令箭

Chinese

		to hold; to seize; to catch to hold; to seize; to catch; to apprehend; to take	chicken feather	to act as; represent; equal to act as; represent; equal; should; fitting; suitable; adequate; proper; replace; to be; to hold a position; manage; withstand; when; during; ought; match equally; same; obstruct; just at (a time or place); on the spot; right; just at	arrow-shaped token of authority; instructions from one's superiors
trad. (拿雞毛當令箭/拿鷄毛當令箭)		拿	雞毛/鷄毛	當	令箭
simp. (拿鸡毛当令箭)		拿	鸡毛	当	令箭
Literally: “to hold a chicken feather as the commander's arrow (in ancient times, a customized arrow was used as a token of authority)”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): ná jīmáo dàng lìngjiàn

  (Zhuyin): ㄋㄚˊ ㄐㄧ ㄇㄠˊ ㄉㄤˋ ㄌㄧㄥˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: ná jīmáo dàng lìngjiàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄋㄚˊ ㄐㄧ ㄇㄠˊ ㄉㄤˋ ㄌㄧㄥˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ná jimáo dàng lìngjiàn
    • Wade–Giles: na² chi¹-mao² tang⁴ ling⁴-chien⁴
    • Yale: ná jī-máu dàng lìng-jyàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: na jimau danq linqjiann
    • Palladius: на цзимао дан линцзянь (na czimao dan linczjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /nä³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ mɑʊ̯³⁵ tɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ liŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/

Idiom

拿雞毛當令箭

1. to treat one's superior's casual remarks as an order and to make a big fuss about it

Synonyms

• (Cantonese) 揸住雞毛當令箭／揸住鸡毛当令箭 (zaa¹ zyu⁶ gai¹ mou⁴ dong³ ling⁶ zin³)