火燒旗杆——長嘆

Chinese
 
fire; angry; fierce
fire; angry; fierce; fiery; thriving
 
to burn; to cook; to stew
to burn; to cook; to stew; to bake; to roast; fever
 flagpole; flagstaff
 
long; length; forever
long; length; forever; always; constantly; chief; head; elder; to grow; to develop
 to sigh; (Cantonese) to enjoy
trad. (火燒旗杆——長嘆/火燒旗桿——長嘆/火燒旗杆——長歎/火燒旗桿——長歎) 火 燒 旗杆/旗桿 —— 長 嘆/歎
simp. (火烧旗杆——长叹) 火 烧 旗杆 —— 长 叹
Literally: “when fire burns a flagpole - a long piece of charcoal”.

Etymology

A wooden flagpole after being burnt is a long piece of charcoal (長炭／长炭 (coeng4 taan3)), which is homophonic pun on 長嘆／长叹 (coeng4 taan3).

嘆／叹 (taan3) can mean "sigh" or "to enjoy" in Cantonese.

Pronunciation

Idiom

火燒旗杆——長嘆

  1. (Cantonese) to have a long sigh (because of helplessness, etc.)
  2. (Cantonese) to enjoy life for a long time

Synonyms
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