毛遂自薦

See also: 毛遂自荐

Chinese

		Mao Sui (BCE 3rd century)	to recommend oneself
trad. (毛遂自薦)		毛遂	自薦
simp. (毛遂自荐)		毛遂	自荐

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): máosuìzìjiàn

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄠˊ ㄙㄨㄟˋ ㄗˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mou⁴ seoi⁶ zi⁶ zin³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: máosuìzìjiàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄠˊ ㄙㄨㄟˋ ㄗˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: máosuèizìhjiàn
    • Wade–Giles: mao²-sui⁴-tzŭ⁴-chien⁴
    • Yale: máu-swèi-dz̀-jyàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mausueytzyhjiann
    • Palladius: маосуйцзыцзянь (maosujczyczjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɑʊ̯³⁵ su̯eɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: mou⁴ seoi⁶ zi⁶ zin³
    • Yale: mòuh seuih jih jin
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mou⁴ soey⁶ dzi⁶ dzin³
    • Guangdong Romanization: mou⁴ sêu⁶ ji⁶ jin³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mou̯²¹ sɵy̯²² t͡siː²² t͡siːn³³/

Idiom

毛遂自薦

1. to recommend oneself; to put oneself up for a task; to nominate oneself; to volunteer; to offer one's services

Japanese

Kanji in this term
毛	遂	自	薦
もう Grade: 2	すい Grade: S	じ Grade: 2	せん Grade: S
on'yomi

Etymology

From 毛遂 (mōsui, “Mao Sui, a historical figure”) + 自薦 (jisen, “self-recommendation”). Derived from the story in Shiji where Mao Sui likened himself to a sharp awl that cannot be hidden in a bag.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) もーすいじせん [mòósúíjíséń] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [mo̞ːsɨiʑisẽ̞ɴ]

Idiom

毛(もう)遂(すい)自(じ)薦(せん) • (mōsuijisen) 

1. A metaphor for stepping forward to take on a role or task when one has not been noticed before.

Related terms

• 嚢中(のうちゅう)の錐(きり) (nōchūnokiri, “awl in a bag”)

References