分庭抗禮

Chinese

		to stand in different parts of the courtyard as a symbol of equality among the people
trad. (分庭抗禮)		分庭	抗禮
simp. (分庭抗礼)		分庭	抗礼

Etymology

From Zhuangzi, chapter 31 (《莊子·漁父》), where Zilu gives some comments after a conversation between Confucius and a fisherman.

萬乘之主，千乘之君，見夫子未嘗不分庭伉禮，夫子猶有倨敖之容。今漁父杖拏逆立，而夫子曲要磬折，言拜而應，得无太甚乎？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]

万乘之主，千乘之君，见夫子未尝不分庭伉礼，夫子犹有倨敖之容。今渔父杖拿逆立，而夫子曲要磬折，言拜而应，得无太甚乎？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE, translation from The Complete Works Of Chuang Tzu (2013), by Burton Watson

Wànshèng zhī zhǔ, qiānshèng zhī jūn, jiàn fūzǐ wèicháng bù fēntíng kànglǐ, fūzǐ yóu yǒu jù'ào zhī róng. Jīn yúfù zhàng ná nì lì, ér fūzǐ qūyāo qìngzhé, yán bài ér yìng, dé wú tàishèn hū? [Pinyin]

The rulers of ten thousand chariots, the lords of a thousand chariots, when they receive you, invariably seat you on the same level as themselves and treat you with the etiquette due to an equal, and still you maintain a stiff and haughty air. But now this old fisherman, pole in hand, presents himself in front of you, and you double up at the waist, as bent as a chiming stone, and bow every time you reply to his words — this is going too far, isn’t it?

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): fēntíngkànglǐ

(Zhuyin): ㄈㄣㄊㄧㄥˊ ㄎㄤˋ ㄌㄧˇ
Cantonese (Jyutping): fan¹ ting⁴ kong³ lai⁵

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: fēntíngkànglǐ
  - Zhuyin: ㄈㄣㄊㄧㄥˊ ㄎㄤˋ ㄌㄧˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: fentíngkànglǐ
  - Wade–Giles: fên¹-tʻing²-kʻang⁴-li³
  - Yale: fēn-tíng-kàng-lǐ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: fentyngkanqlii
  - Palladius: фэньтинканли (fɛnʹtinkanli)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /fən⁵⁵ tʰiŋ³⁵ kʰɑŋ⁵¹ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: fan¹ ting⁴ kong³ lai⁵
  - Yale: fān tìhng kong láih
  - Cantonese Pinyin: fan¹ ting⁴ kong³ lai⁵
  - Guangdong Romanization: fen¹ ting⁴ kong³ lei⁵
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /fɐn⁵⁵ tʰɪŋ²¹ kʰɔːŋ³³ lɐi̯¹³/

Idiom

分庭抗禮

to stand up (to someone) as an equal; to function as rivals