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鶴長鳧短. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
鶴長鳧短, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
鶴長鳧短 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
鶴長鳧短 you have here. The definition of the word
鶴長鳧短 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
鶴長鳧短, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
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crane
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long; length; forever long; length; forever; always; constantly; chief; head; elder; to grow; to develop |
wild duck; to swim
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lack; short
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| trad. (鶴長鳧短)
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鶴
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長
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鳧
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短
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| simp. (鹤长凫短)
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鹤
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长
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凫
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短
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| Literally: “a crane's legs are long, a duck's are short”.
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Etymology
Derived from a passage in the Zhuangzi.
是故鳧脛雖短，續之則憂；鶴脛雖長，斷之則悲。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
是故凫胫虽短，续之则忧；鹤胫虽长，断之则悲。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]- From: Zhuangzi, circa 3rd – 2nd centuries BCE
- Shìgù fú jìng suī duǎn, xù zhī zé yōu; hè jìng suī cháng, duàn zhī zé bēi.
- Thus a duck's legs, for instance, are short, but if we try to lengthen them, it occasions pain; and a crane's legs are long, but if we try to cut off a portion of them, it produces grief.
Pronunciation
Idiom
鶴長鳧短
- things should be allowed to take their natural course