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左右兩難

简左右两难 · 繁左右兩難

Mandarin · pinyin zuǒ yòu liǎng nán

(idiom) between a rock and a hard place
in a dilemma

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Characters in this entry

左: zuǒ · left; east; unorthodox, improper
右: yòu · right; west; right-wing
兩: liǎng · two, both, pair, couple; ounce
難: Look up this written character
两: liǎng · two, both, pair, couple; ounce
难: nán · difficult, arduous, hard; unable

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

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Mandarin tones

3–4–3–2 · zuo3 you4 liang3 nan2

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

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.

左右兩難 · find source passages ↗ · 左右两难 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zo2 jau6 loeng5 naan4

Cantonese word readings for 左右兩難. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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