是藥三分毒

Chinese

		be; yes; this	medicine; drug; cure	to be divided into three parts; three tenths	poison; narcotics
trad. (是藥三分毒)		是	藥	三分	毒
simp. (是药三分毒)		是	药	三分	毒
Literally: “this medicine contains 30% poison”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shì yào sānfēn dú

  (Zhuyin): ㄕˋ ㄧㄠˋ ㄙㄢ ㄈㄣ ㄉㄨˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): si⁶ joek⁶ saam¹ fan¹ duk⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shì yào sānfēn dú
    • Zhuyin: ㄕˋ ㄧㄠˋ ㄙㄢ ㄈㄣ ㄉㄨˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shìh yào sanfen dú
    • Wade–Giles: shih⁴ yao⁴ san¹-fên¹ tu²
    • Yale: shr̀ yàu sān-fēn dú
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyh yaw sanfen dwu
    • Palladius: ши яо саньфэнь ду (ši jao sanʹfɛnʹ du)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ jɑʊ̯⁵¹ sän⁵⁵ fən⁵⁵ tu³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: si⁶ joek⁶ saam¹ fan¹ duk⁶
    • Yale: sih yeuhk sāam fān duhk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: si⁶ joek⁹ saam¹ fan¹ duk⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: xi⁶ yêg⁶ sam¹ fen¹ dug⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siː²² jœːk̚² saːm⁵⁵ fɐn⁵⁵ tʊk̚²/

Proverb

是藥三分毒

1. all medicine has its side effects