弱水三千，只取一瓢飲

Chinese

		Ruo Shui	three	thousand		only; merely; just only; merely; just; but	to take; to get; to choose to take; to get; to choose; to fetch	one; single; a one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)	dipper; ladle	drink
trad. (弱水三千，只取一瓢飲)		弱水	三	千	，	只	取	一	瓢	飲
simp. (弱水三千，只取一瓢饮)		弱水	三	千	，	只	取	一	瓢	饮

Etymology

From: Chapter 91 of the Dream of the Red Chamber

• Literally: (although) the Ruo River is three thousand li long, one only drinks one ladle worth of water from it.

  Later on, this phrase was used as a metaphor for choosing only one companion out of all potential mates.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): ruòshuǐsānqiān, zhǐ qǔ yīpiáo yǐn

  (Zhuyin): ㄖㄨㄛˋ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄙㄢ ㄑㄧㄢ , ㄓˇ ㄑㄩˇ ㄧ ㄆㄧㄠˊ ㄧㄣˇ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: ruòshuǐsānqiān, zhǐ qǔ yīpiáo yǐn [Phonetic: ruòshuǐsānqiān,zhíqǔyìpiáoyǐn]
    • Zhuyin: ㄖㄨㄛˋ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄙㄢ ㄑㄧㄢ , ㄓˇ ㄑㄩˇ ㄧ ㄆㄧㄠˊ ㄧㄣˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ruòshuěisancian, jhǐh cyǔ yipiáo yǐn
    • Wade–Giles: jo⁴-shui³-san¹-chʻien¹, chih³ chʻü³ i¹-pʻiao² yin³
    • Yale: rwò-shwěi-sān-chyān-, jř chyǔ yī-pyáu yǐn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ruohshoeisanchian, jyy cheu ipyau yiin
    • Palladius: жошуйсаньцянь, чжи цюй ипяо инь (žošujsanʹcjanʹ, čži cjuj ipjao inʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ sän⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ pʰi̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ in²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Idiom

弱水三千，只取一瓢飲

1. there are so many potential lovers to choose from, but you only pick one from among those potential lovers