金龜婿

Chinese

FWOTD – 13 February 2017

	golden turtle; turtle-shaped handle on a golden seal, or the golden seal itself	husband; son-in-law
trad. (金龜婿)	金龜	婿
simp. (金龟婿)	金龟	婿
Literally: “golden-turtle husband”.

Etymology

金龜 (“golden turtle”) refers to the turtle emblem worn by medieval Tang Dynasty officials who were in the third rank or above. This word was probably first used in a poem by Li Shangyin [c. 813–858]; see below.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): jīnguīxù

(Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄣㄍㄨㄟㄒㄩˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): gam¹ gwai¹ sai³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Pinyin: jīnguīxù
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄣㄍㄨㄟㄒㄩˋ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jingueishiw
  - IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕin⁵⁵ ku̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ ɕy⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: gam¹ gwai¹ sai³
  - Yale: gām gwāi sai
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gam¹ gwai¹ sai³
  - Guangdong Romanization: gem¹ guei¹ sei³
  - IPA ^(key): /kɐm⁵⁵ kʷɐi̯⁵⁵ sɐi̯³³/

Noun

金龜婿

(figuratively) wealthy son-in-law or husband

釣個金龜婿 / 钓个金龟婿 ― diào ge jīnguīxù ― to angle for a rich husband or son-in-law

無端嫁得金龜婿，辜負香衾事早朝。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
无端嫁得金龟婿，辜负香衾事早朝。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Li Shangyin [c. 813–858], 《為有》 (Because)
Wúduān jià dé jīnguīxù, gūfù xiāngqīn shì zǎocháo. [Pinyin]
She chanced to be married to a Golden-Tortoise husband;
How ungrateful he was, to leave the sweet quilt to attend court before break of day!

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