DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

占著茅坑不拉屎

简占着茅坑不拉屎 · 繁占著茅坑不拉屎

Mandarin · pinyin zhàn zhe máo kēng bù lā shǐ

lit. to occupy a latrine but not shit (proverb)
fig. to be a dog in the manger

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Characters in this entry

占: zhàn · divine; observe; versify
著: zhù · zhe · manifest; (Cant.) to wear
茅: máo · reeds, rushes, grass; surname
坑: kēng · pit, hole; bury, trap; harry
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
拉: lā · pull, drag; seize, hold; lengthen
屎: shǐ · excrement, shit, dung
着: zhe · make move, take action

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–5–2–1–4–1–3 · zhan4 zhe5 mao2 keng1 bu4 la1 shi3

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Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

占著茅坑不拉屎 · find source passages ↗ · 占着茅坑不拉屎 · find source passages ↗

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