一蟹不如一蟹

Chinese

		one; single; a one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)	crab	to be not like; to be not equal to; to be not as good as to be not like; to be not equal to; to be not as good as; cannot compare to; to be inferior to	one; single; a one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)	crab
trad. (一蟹不如一蟹)		一	蟹	不如	一	蟹
simp. #(一蟹不如一蟹)		一	蟹	不如	一	蟹
Literally: “each crab is smaller than the one before”.

Etymology

From Words of Aizi by Su Shi:

艾子行於海上，見一物圓而褊，且多足，問居人曰：「此何物也？」曰：「蝤蛑也。」既又見一物，圓褊多足，問居人曰：「此何物也？」曰：「螃蟹也。」又於後得一物，狀貌皆若前所見而極小，問居人曰：「此何物也？」曰：「彭越也。」艾子喟然嘆曰：「何一蟹不如一蟹也！」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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艾子行于海上，见一物圆而褊，且多足，问居人曰：「此何物也？」曰：「蝤蛑也。」既又见一物，圆褊多足，问居人曰：「此何物也？」曰：「螃蟹也。」又于后得一物，状貌皆若前所见而极小，问居人曰：「此何物也？」曰：「彭越也。」艾子喟然叹曰：「何一蟹不如一蟹也！」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Su Shi, 《艾子雜說》 (Words of Aizi)

Àizǐ xíng yú hǎi shàng, jiàn yī wù yuán ér biǎn, qiě duō zú, wèn jūrén yuē: “Cǐ hé wù yě?” Yuē: “Qiúmóu yě.” Jì yòu jiàn yī wù, yuán biǎn duō zú, wèn jūrén yuē: “Cǐ hé wù yě?” Yuē: “Pángxiè yě.” Yòu yú hòu dé yī wù, zhuàngmào jiē ruò qián suǒ jiàn ér jí xiǎo, wèn jūrén yuē: “Cǐ hé wù yě?” Yuē: “Péngyuè yě.” Àizǐ kuìrán tàn yuē: “Hé yīxièbùrúyīxiè yě!” [Pinyin]

Aizi was strolling by the sea. He saw a round and flat creature with many legs. He asked a local person, "What is this?" "It's a swimming crab (Portunidae)," answered that person. Then Aizi saw another creature, also round and flat, with many legs. Aizi then asked, "What is this?" "It's a common crab (Brachyura)." After that Aizi saw another creature again. It looked like those he just saw but was very small. He asked, "What is this?" "It's a sesarmid crab (Sesarmidae)." Aizi then sighed and said, "Why each crab I saw is smaller than the one before?"

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yī xiè bùrú yī xiè

  (Zhuyin): ㄧ ㄒㄧㄝˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄧ ㄒㄧㄝˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jat¹ haai⁵ bat¹ jyu⁴ jat¹ haai⁵

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yī xiè bùrú yī xiè [Phonetic: yí xiè bùrú yí xiè]
    • Zhuyin: ㄧ ㄒㄧㄝˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄧ ㄒㄧㄝˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yi siè bùrú yi siè
    • Wade–Giles: i¹ hsieh⁴ pu⁴-ju² i¹ hsieh⁴
    • Yale: yī syè bù-rú yī syè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: i shieh buru i shieh
    • Palladius: и се бужу и се (i se bužu i se)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ɕi̯ɛ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ɕi̯ɛ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jat¹ haai⁵ bat¹ jyu⁴ jat¹ haai⁵
    • Yale: yāt háaih bāt yùh yāt háaih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jat⁷ haai⁵ bat⁷ jy⁴ jat⁷ haai⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: yed¹ hai⁵ bed¹ yu⁴ yed¹ hai⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐt̚⁵ haːi̯¹³ pɐt̚⁵ jyː²¹ jɐt̚⁵ haːi̯¹³/

Idiom

一蟹不如一蟹

1. each one is worse than the one before

Synonyms

• 每況愈下／每况愈下 (měikuàngyùxià)