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好記性不如爛筆頭

简好记性不如烂笔头 · 繁好記性不如爛筆頭

Mandarin · pinyin hǎo jì xìng bù rú làn bǐ tóu

the palest ink is better than the best memory (idiom)

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Characters in this entry

好: hǎo · good, excellent, fine; well
記: jì · record; keep in mind, remember
性: xìng · nature, character, sex
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
如: rú · if, supposing; as if; like, as
爛: Look up this written character
筆: bǐ · writing brush; write; stroke
頭: tóu · head; top; chief, first; boss
记: jì · record; keep in mind, remember
烂: làn · rotten, spoiled, decayed
笔: bǐ · writing brush; write; stroke
头: tóu · head; top; chief, first; boss

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

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Mandarin tones

3–4–4–4–2–4–3–2 · hao3 ji4 xing4 bu4 ru2 lan4 bi3 tou2

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Compare dictionary sources 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

hou2 gei3 sing3 bat1 jyu4 laan6 bat1 tau4

Cantonese word readings for 好記性不如爛筆頭. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

hou2 gei3 sing3 bat1 jyu4 laan6 bat1 tau4

Pleco · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Word reading; meanings not aligned.