進退兩難

See also: 进退两难

Chinese

		to advance and retreat; sense of propriety	two difficulties; being in a dilemma or quandary situation
trad. (進退兩難)		進退	兩難
simp. (进退两难)		进退	两难

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jìntuìliǎngnán

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄊㄨㄟˋ ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄋㄢˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zeon³ teoi³ loeng⁵ naan⁴
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): chin-thui-lióng-nàn
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): chìn-thòe-lióng-lân / chìn-thè-lióng-lân

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jìntuìliǎngnán
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄊㄨㄟˋ ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄋㄢˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jìntuèiliǎngnán
    • Wade–Giles: chin⁴-tʻui⁴-liang³-nan²
    • Yale: jìn-twèi-lyǎng-nán
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jinntueyleangnan
    • Palladius: цзиньтуйляннань (czinʹtujljannanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕin⁵¹⁻⁵³ tʰu̯eɪ̯⁵¹ li̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ nän³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zeon³ teoi³ loeng⁵ naan⁴
    • Yale: jeun teui léuhng nàahn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzoen³ toey³ loeng⁵ naan⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: zên³ têu³ lêng⁵ nan⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɵn³³ tʰɵy̯³³ lœːŋ¹³ naːn²¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chin-thui-lióng-nàn
    • Hakka Romanization System: jin tui liong^ˋ nan^ˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: jin⁴ tui⁴ liong³ nan²
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sin⁵⁵ tʰu̯i⁵⁵ li̯oŋ³¹ nan¹¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chìn-thòe-lióng-lân
    • Tâi-lô: tsìn-thuè-lióng-lân
    • Phofsit Daibuun: cientoealiofnglaan
    • IPA (Taipei): /t͡sin¹¹⁻⁵³ tʰue¹¹⁻⁵³ liɔŋ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lan²⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /t͡sin²¹⁻⁵³ tʰue²¹⁻⁵³ liɔŋ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lan²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sin²¹⁻⁴¹ tʰue²¹⁻⁴¹ liɔŋ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ lan²³/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chìn-thè-lióng-lân
    • Tâi-lô: tsìn-thè-lióng-lân
    • Phofsit Daibuun: cientealiofnglaan
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sin²¹⁻⁴¹ tʰe²¹⁻⁴¹ liɔŋ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ lan²³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /t͡sin¹¹⁻⁵³ tʰe¹¹⁻⁵³ liɔŋ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lan²⁴/

Idiom

進退兩難

1. between a rock and a hard place
2. in a bind; in a pickle
3. describes an awkward situation where one does not know what to do

Related terms

• 不上不下 (bùshàngbùxià)
• 進退維谷／进退维谷 (jìntuìwéigǔ)