萬事俱備,只欠東風
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Chinese[edit]
all; everything | complete | only; merely; just only; merely; just; but |
deficient; owe; to lack deficient; owe; to lack; yawn |
easterly; spring wind | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
trad. (萬事俱備,只欠東風) | 萬事 | 俱備 | , | 只 | 欠 | 東風 | |
simp. (万事俱备,只欠东风) | 万事 | 俱备 | , | 只 | 欠 | 东风 | |
Literally: “All things are ready except for the easternly wind.” |
Etymology[edit]
From the Romance of Three Kingdoms:
- 孔明索紙筆,屏退左右,密書十六字曰:「欲破曹公,宜用火攻;萬事俱備,只欠東風。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
- From: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14th century CE
- Kǒngmíng suǒ zhǐbǐ, píngtuì zuǒyòu, mì shū shíliù zì yuē: “Yù pò Cáo gōng, yí yòng huǒgōng; wànshì jù bèi, zhǐ qiàn dōngfēng.” [Pinyin]
- (please add an English translation of this usage example)
孔明索纸笔,屏退左右,密书十六字曰:「欲破曹公,宜用火攻;万事俱备,只欠东风。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation[edit]
Idiom[edit]
萬事俱備,只欠東風
- Everything is ready except for one last crucial item.