小心翼翼

Chinese

		to be careful of something; to mind; to beware of	cautious; prudent; orderly
trad. (小心翼翼)		小心	翼翼
simp. #(小心翼翼)		小心	翼翼

Etymology

Occurred a few times in the Classic of Poetry, for example, poem 236 (《詩經·大雅·大明》):

維此文王，小心翼翼。
昭事上帝，聿懷多福。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]

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维此文王，小心翼翼。
昭事上帝，聿怀多福。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Wéi cǐ Wénwáng, xiǎoxīn yìyì.
Zhāo shì Shàngdì, yù huái duō fú. [Pinyin]

This king Wen, Watchfully and reverently,
With entire intelligence served God, And so secured the great blessing.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiǎoxīnyìyì

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄧˋ ㄧˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): siu² sam¹ jik⁶ jik⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiǎoxīnyìyì
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄧˋ ㄧˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siǎosinyìyì
    • Wade–Giles: hsiao³-hsin¹-i⁴-i⁴
    • Yale: syǎu-syīn-yì-yì
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sheaushinyihyih
    • Palladius: сяосиньии (sjaosinʹii)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕin⁵⁵ i⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: siu² sam¹ jik⁶ jik⁶
    • Yale: síu sām yihk yihk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: siu² sam¹ jik⁹ jik⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: xiu² sem¹ yig⁶ yig⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siːu̯³⁵ sɐm⁵⁵ jɪk̚² jɪk̚²/

Idiom

小心翼翼

1. cautious; prudent; wary; with great care; cautiously