轉彎抹角

Chinese

		to revolve; to turn; to circle about to revolve; to turn; to circle about; to walk about; to convey; to forward (mail); to transfer; to shift	bend; bent	girdle; brassiere; to plaster girdle; brassiere; to plaster; play; to smear	horn; angle; role horn; angle; role; actor; contend; horn-shaped; Chinese musical note
trad. (轉彎抹角)		轉	彎	抹	角
simp. (转弯抹角)		转	弯	抹	角
alternative forms		轉灣抹角／转湾抹角

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhuǎnwānmòjiǎo

  (Zhuyin): ㄓㄨㄢˇ ㄨㄢ ㄇㄛˋ ㄐㄧㄠˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zyun³ waan¹ mut⁶ gok³ / zyun³ waan¹ mut³ gok³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhuǎnwānmòjiǎo
    • Zhuyin: ㄓㄨㄢˇ ㄨㄢ ㄇㄛˋ ㄐㄧㄠˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhuǎnwanmòjiǎo
    • Wade–Giles: chuan³-wan¹-mo⁴-chiao³
    • Yale: jwǎn-wān-mwò-jyǎu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: joanuanmohjeau
    • Palladius: чжуаньваньмоцзяо (čžuanʹvanʹmoczjao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂu̯än²¹⁴⁻²¹ wän⁵⁵ mu̯ɔ⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zyun³ waan¹ mut⁶ gok³ / zyun³ waan¹ mut³ gok³
    • Yale: jyun wāan muht gok / jyun wāan mut gok
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzyn³ waan¹ mut⁹ gok⁸ / dzyn³ waan¹ mut⁸ gok⁸
    • Guangdong Romanization: jun³ wan¹ mud⁶ gog³ / jun³ wan¹ mud³ gog³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡syːn³³ waːn⁵⁵ muːt̚² kɔːk̚³/, /t͡syːn³³ waːn⁵⁵ muːt̚³ kɔːk̚³/

Idiom

轉彎抹角

1. to twist and turn; to turn a corner here and there
2. (figurative) to speak in a roundabout way; to beat around the bush

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 拐彎抹角 (“to speak in a roundabout way; to beat around the bush”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		拐彎抹角, 轉彎抹角, 兜圈子, 繞圈子, 繞彎子, 繞彎
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	拐彎兒抹角兒, 轉彎兒抹角兒, 拐彎兒, 轉彎兒, 繞彎兒
	Taiwan	拐彎抹角
	Singapore	拐彎抹角
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	拐彎兒抹角兒, 轉彎抹角
Cantonese	Hong Kong	轉彎抹角, 兜圈, 遊花園
Gan	Lichuan	拐彎抹角
Southern Min	Xiamen	彎來斡去, 踅玲瑯
	Zhangzhou	踅玲瑯
	Tainan	轉彎踅角, 彎來斡去, 彎彎斡斡, 踅玲瑯