指鹿為馬

See also: 指鹿为马

Chinese

		finger; to point; to direct finger; to point; to direct; to indicate	deer	because of; for; to because of; for; to; act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become	horse; surname
trad. (指鹿為馬/指鹿爲馬)		指	鹿	為/爲	馬
simp. (指鹿为马)		指	鹿	为	马
Literally: “to point to a deer and call it a horse”.

Etymology

First attested in c. 197 BCE in a story in Xinyu:

秦二世之時，趙高駕鹿而從行。
王曰：「丞相何為駕鹿？」
高曰：「馬也。」
王曰：「丞相誤也，以鹿為馬。」
高曰：「陛下以臣言不然，願問群臣。」
臣半言鹿，半言馬。
當此之時，秦王不能自信其目，而從邪臣之說。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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秦二世之时，赵高驾鹿而从行。
王曰：「丞相何为驾鹿？」
高曰：「马也。」
王曰：「丞相误也，以鹿为马。」
高曰：「陛下以臣言不然，愿问群臣。」
臣半言鹿，半言马。
当此之时，秦王不能自信其目，而从邪臣之说。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Lu Jia, Xinyu (A New Discourse), c. 197 BCE

Qín Èrshì zhī shí, Zhào Gāo jià lù ér cóng xíng.
Wáng yuē: “Chéngxiàng héwéi jià lù?”
Gāo yuē: “Mǎ yě.”
Wáng yuē: “Chéngxiàng wù yě, yǐ lù wéi mǎ.”
Gāo yuē: “Bìxià yǐ chén yán bùrán, yuàn wèn qúnchén.”
Chén bàn yán lù, bàn yán mǎ.
Dāng cǐ zhī shí, Qín wáng bùnéng zìxìn qí mù, ér cóng xié chén zhī shuō. [Pinyin]

During emperor Qin Er Shi’s reign, eunuch Zhao Gao rode a deer on an outing with the emperor.
The emperor said: “Gao, why are you riding a deer?”
Gao said: “(It is) a horse.”
The emperor said: “Gao, you are wrong. You are calling a deer a horse.”
Gao said: “Your Majesty, you are dismissing my words. Please ask the ministers for their opinions.”
(When asked,) half of the ministers said it was a deer, and half said it was a horse.
At this moment, the Qin emperor could not be confident with his eyes, and believed the evil minister’s words.

This story was also mentioned in the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji). In Shiji, the ministers pointed to the animal as deer in order to please the eunuch Zhao Gao, and Zhao was said to have later retaliated on those who referred to it as a deer.

Pronunciation

Rime
Character	指	鹿	為	馬
Reading #	1/1	1/1	1/2	1/1
Initial (聲)	章 (23)	來 (37)	云 (35)	明 (4)
Final (韻)	脂 (17)	屋 (3)	支 (14)	麻 (98)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Checked (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open	Closed	Open
Division (等)	III	I	III	II
Fanqie	職雉切	盧谷切	薳支切	莫下切
Baxter	tsyijX	luwk	hjwe	maeX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡ɕˠiɪX/	/luk̚/	/ɦˠiuᴇ/	/mˠaX/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡ɕᵚiX/	/luk̚/	/ɦʷᵚiɛ/	/mᵚaX/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡ɕiɪX/	/luk̚/	/ɣiuɛ/	/maX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/cjiX/	/ləwk̚/	/ɦjwiə̆/	/maɨX/
Li Rong	/t͡ɕjiX/	/luk̚/	/ɣjue/	/maX/
Wang Li	/t͡ɕiX/	/luk̚/	/ɣǐwe/	/maX/
Bernard Karlgren	/t͡ɕiX/	/luk̚/	/wie̯/	/maX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zhǐ	lù	wéi	mǎ
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zi2	luk6	wai4	maa5

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhǐlùwéimǎ

  (Zhuyin): ㄓˇ ㄌㄨˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄇㄚˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zi² luk⁶ wai⁴ maa⁵ / zi² luk^6-2 wai⁴ maa⁵

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhǐlùwéimǎ
    • Zhuyin: ㄓˇ ㄌㄨˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄇㄚˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhǐhlùwéimǎ
    • Wade–Giles: chih³-lu⁴-wei²-ma³
    • Yale: jř-lù-wéi-mǎ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyyluhweimaa
    • Palladius: чжилувэйма (čžiluvɛjma)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ lu⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zi² luk⁶ wai⁴ maa⁵ / zi² luk^6-2 wai⁴ maa⁵
    • Yale: jí luhk wàih máh / jí lúk wàih máh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzi² luk⁹ wai⁴ maa⁵ / dzi² luk^9-2 wai⁴ maa⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: ji² lug⁶ wei⁴ ma⁵ / ji² lug^6-2 wei⁴ ma⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siː³⁵ lʊk̚² wɐi̯²¹ maː¹³/, /t͡siː³⁵ lʊk̚²⁻³⁵ wɐi̯²¹ maː¹³/

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• Middle Chinese: tsyijX luwk hjwe maeX

Idiom

指鹿為馬

1. (figurative, derogatory) to be a false witness; to deliberately misinterpret and invert right and wrong

See also

• 鹿克思 (Lùkèsī)