上有老下有小

Chinese

		up; on; on top up; on; on top; upon; first; previous or last; upper; higher; above; previous; to climb; to go into; to go up	to have; there is; there are to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be	old; aged; venerable old; aged; venerable; outdated; experienced; (affectionate prefix)	under; next; lower under; next; lower; below; underneath; down(wards); to go down; latter	to have; there is; there are to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be	small; tiny; few small; tiny; few; young
trad. (上有老下有小)		上	有	老	下	有	小
simp. #(上有老下有小)		上	有	老	下	有	小
Literally: “above are the old, below are the young”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shàng yǒu lǎo xià yǒu xiǎo

  (Zhuyin): ㄕㄤˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄌㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄒㄧㄠˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): soeng⁶ jau⁵ lou⁵ haa⁶ jau⁵ siu²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shàng yǒu lǎo xià yǒu xiǎo [Phonetic: shàngyóulǎoxiàyóuxiǎo]
    • Zhuyin: ㄕㄤˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄌㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄒㄧㄠˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shàng yǒu lǎo sià yǒu siǎo
    • Wade–Giles: shang⁴ yu³ lao³ hsia⁴ yu³ hsiao³
    • Yale: shàng yǒu lǎu syà yǒu syǎu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shanq yeou lao shiah yeou sheau
    • Palladius: шан ю лао ся ю сяо (šan ju lao sja ju sjao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂɑŋ⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: soeng⁶ jau⁵ lou⁵ haa⁶ jau⁵ siu²
    • Yale: seuhng yáuh lóuh hah yáuh síu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: soeng⁶ jau⁵ lou⁵ haa⁶ jau⁵ siu²
    • Guangdong Romanization: sêng⁶ yeo⁵ lou⁵ ha⁶ yeo⁵ xiu²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sœːŋ²² jɐu̯¹³ lou̯¹³ haː²² jɐu̯¹³ siːu̯³⁵/

Phrase

上有老下有小

1. to have both one's aging parents and one's young children to take care of; to be a member of the sandwich generation