無中生有

Chinese

		not have	middle; center; within middle; center; within; among; in; while (doing sth); during; China; Chinese; hit (the mark)	to be born; to give birth; life to be born; to give birth; life; to grow; student; raw	to have; there is; there are to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be
trad. (無中生有)		無	中	生	有
simp. (无中生有)		无	中	生	有

Etymology

From Chapter 40 of Tao Te Ching:

天下萬物生於有，有生於無。 [Classical Chinese, trad.][▼ expand/hide]
天下万物生于有，有生于无。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Tao Te Ching, 4th century BCE

Tiānxià wànwù shēng yú yǒu, yǒu shēng yú wú. [Pinyin]

All things under heaven sprang from It as existing (and named); that existence sprang from It as non-existent (and not named). (translated by James Legge)

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): wúzhōngshēngyǒu

(Zhuyin): ㄨˊ ㄓㄨㄥㄕㄥㄧㄡˇ
Cantonese (Jyutping): mou⁴ zung¹ sang¹ jau⁵

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Pinyin: wúzhōngshēngyǒu
  - Zhuyin: ㄨˊ ㄓㄨㄥㄕㄥㄧㄡˇ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wujongshengyeou
  - IPA ^(key): /u³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ i̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: mou⁴ zung¹ sang¹ jau⁵
  - Yale: mòuh jūng sāng yáuh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: mou⁴ dzung¹ sang¹ jau⁵
  - Guangdong Romanization: mou⁴ zung¹ seng¹ yeo⁵
  - IPA ^(key): /mou̯²¹ t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ sɐŋ⁵⁵ jɐu̯¹³/

Idiom

無中生有

(Taoism) all existence sprang from nonexistence
to fabricate; to make up unfounded rumor; to trump up

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