趾高氣揚

Chinese

		sole of the foot	high; tall	gas; air; smell gas; air; smell; weather; vital breath; to make someone angry; to get angry; to be enraged	hurl; to raise; to scatter
trad. (趾高氣揚)		趾	高	氣	揚
simp. (趾高气扬)		趾	高	气	扬
alternative forms		足高氣揚／足高气扬
Literally: “to walk with a high-stepping gait and look proud”.

Etymology

From the book Zuozhuan:

莫敖必敗。舉趾高，心不固矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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莫敖必败。举趾高，心不固矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

Mò'áo bì bài. Jǔ zhǐ gāo, xīn bù gù yǐ. [Pinyin]

The Mo'ao will certainly be defeated. He walks high in his steps; ― his mind is not firm.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhǐgāoqìyáng

  (Zhuyin): ㄓˇ ㄍㄠ ㄑㄧˋ ㄧㄤˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zi² gou¹ hei³ joeng⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhǐgāoqìyáng
    • Zhuyin: ㄓˇ ㄍㄠ ㄑㄧˋ ㄧㄤˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhǐhgaocìyáng
    • Wade–Giles: chih³-kao¹-chʻi⁴-yang²
    • Yale: jř-gāu-chì-yáng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyygauchihyang
    • Palladius: чжигаоциян (čžigaocijan)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵¹ jɑŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zi² gou¹ hei³ joeng⁴
    • Yale: jí gōu hei yèuhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzi² gou¹ hei³ joeng⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: ji² gou¹ héi³ yêng⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siː³⁵ kou̯⁵⁵ hei̯³³ jœːŋ²¹/

Idiom

趾高氣揚

1. (derogatory) to be on one's high horse; to be very self-righteous; to be arrogant

Synonyms

• 趾氣高揚／趾气高扬