few; widowed
uncorrupt; inexpensive
few; rare; fresh
shame; disgrace
trad. (寡廉鮮恥)
寡
廉
鮮
恥
simp. (寡廉鲜耻)
寡
廉
鲜
耻
Etymology
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First attested in 130 B.C.E., in Sima Xiangru's Proclamation on Ba and Shu (《喻巴蜀檄》):
父兄之教不先，子弟之率不謹也；寡廉鮮恥，而俗不長厚也。其被刑戮，不亦宜乎！ [Classical Chinese, trad.]父兄之教不先，子弟之率不谨也；寡廉鲜耻，而俗不长厚也。其被刑戮，不亦宜乎！ [Classical Chinese, simp.]From: 130 BCE, 司馬相如,《喻巴蜀檄》, translated by Hans van EssFùxiōng zhī jiào bù xiān, zǐdì zhī shuài bùjǐn yě; guǎ lián xiān chǐ, ér sú bù zhǎnghòu yě. Qí bèi xínglù, bùyì yí hū! [Pinyin]If the teaching of fathers and elder brothers does not precede, then the obedience of sons and younger brothers will not be sincere; and it also was due to the fact that there was little modesty and almost no shame, and that the customs were not noble and generous. Is it not appropriate that they also suffered from corporal punishment and mutilation?
Pronunciation
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Mandarin
(Pinyin): guǎliánxiǎnchǐ
(Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄚˇ ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄢˇ ㄔˇ
Cantonese (Jyutping): gwaa2 lim4 sin2 ci2
Mandarin
(Standard Chinese)+
Hanyu Pinyin: guǎliánxiǎnchǐ [Phonetic: guǎliánxiánchǐ]
Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄚˇ ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄢˇ ㄔˇ
Tongyong Pinyin: guǎliánsiǎnchǐh
Wade–Giles: kua3-lien2-hsien3-chʻih3
Yale: gwǎ-lyán-syǎn-chř
Gwoyeu Romatzyh: goaliansheanchyy
Palladius: гуаляньсяньчи (gualjanʹsjanʹči)
Sinological IPA (key): /ku̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹ li̯ɛn³⁵ ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Cantonese
(Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
Jyutping: gwaa2 lim4 sin2 ci2
Yale: gwá lìhm sín chí
Cantonese Pinyin: gwaa2 lim4 sin2 tsi2
Guangdong Romanization: gua2 lim4 xin2 qi2
Sinological IPA (key): /kʷaː³⁵ liːm²¹ siːn³⁵ t͡sʰiː³⁵/
Idiom
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寡廉鮮恥
to have no sense of shame and integrity