三頭六臂

Chinese

		three	head; (noun suffix)	six	arm
trad. (三頭六臂)		三	頭	六	臂
simp. (三头六臂)		三	头	六	臂
Literally: “three heads and six arms”.

Etymology

Originally describing the appearance of the mythological figure Nezha.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): sāntóuliùbì

  (Zhuyin): ㄙㄢ ㄊㄡˊ ㄌㄧㄡˋ ㄅㄧˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): saam¹ tau⁴ luk⁶ bei³
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): sam-thô͘-lio̍k-pì / sam-thiô-lio̍k-pì / sam-thâu-lio̍k-pì

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: sāntóuliùbì
    • Zhuyin: ㄙㄢ ㄊㄡˊ ㄌㄧㄡˋ ㄅㄧˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: santóuliòubì
    • Wade–Giles: san¹-tʻou²-liu⁴-pi⁴
    • Yale: sān-tóu-lyòu-bì
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: santourliowbih
    • Palladius: саньтоулюби (sanʹtouljubi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sän⁵⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ li̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: saam¹ tau⁴ luk⁶ bei³
    • Yale: sāam tàuh luhk bei
    • Cantonese Pinyin: saam¹ tau⁴ luk⁹ bei³
    • Guangdong Romanization: sam¹ teo⁴ lug⁶ béi³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /saːm⁵⁵ tʰɐu̯²¹ lʊk̚² pei̯³³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sam-thô͘-lio̍k-pì
    • Tâi-lô: sam-thôo-lio̍k-pì
    • Phofsit Daibuun: samtoliogpix
    • IPA (Xiamen): /sam⁴⁴⁻²² tʰɔ²⁴ liɔk̚⁴⁻³² pi²¹/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sam-thiô-lio̍k-pì
    • Tâi-lô: sam-thiô-lio̍k-pì
    • Phofsit Daibuun: samtioiliogpix
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /sam⁴⁴⁻³³ tʰiɤ²³ liɔk̚⁴⁻³² pi²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /sam⁴⁴⁻³³ tʰio²⁴ liɔk̚⁴⁻³² pi¹¹/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sam-thâu-lio̍k-pì
    • Tâi-lô: sam-thâu-lio̍k-pì
    • Phofsit Daibuun: samtauliogpix
    • IPA (Taipei): /sam⁴⁴⁻³³ tʰau²⁴ liɔk̚⁴⁻³² pi¹¹/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /sam⁴⁴⁻³³ tʰau²³ liɔk̚⁴⁻³² pi²¹/

Idiom

三頭六臂

1. (figurative) (having) superhuman powers