# 難兄難弟
## Chinese
### Etymology 1

| | | difficult; hard | elder brother | difficult; hard | younger brother |
| trad. (難兄難弟) | trad. (難兄難弟) | 難 | 兄 | 難 | 弟 |
| simp. (难兄难弟) | simp. (难兄难弟) | 难 | 兄 | 难 | 弟 |
Based on a tale in A New Account of the Tales of the World:
    陳元方子長文有英才，與季方子孝先，各論其父功德，爭之不能決，咨於太丘。太丘曰：「元方難為兄，季方難為弟。」 [Literary Chinese, trad.]陈元方子长文有英才，与季方子孝先，各论其父功德，争之不能决，咨于太丘。太丘曰：「元方难为兄，季方难为弟。」 [Literary Chinese, simp.]From: Liu Yiqing (editor), A New Account of the Tales of the World, 5th century CEChén Yuánfāng zǐ Chángwén yǒu yīngcái, yǔ Jìfāng zǐ Xiàoxiān, gè lùn qí fù gōngdé, zhēng zhī bùnéng jué, zī yú Tàiqiū. Tàiqiū yuē: “Yuánfāng nán wéi xiōng, Jìfāng nán wéi dì.” [Pinyin]The talented son of Yuanfang (Chen Ji), Changwen (Chen Qun), argued with the son of Jifang (Chen Chen), Xiaoxian (Chen Zhong), about the merits and virtues of their fathers. Unable to settle their argument, they consulted Taiqiu (Chen Shi, mayor of Taiqiu County). Taiqiu said, "Jifang is too outstanding for Yuanfang to be his elder brother, and Yuanfang is too outstanding for Jifang to be his younger brother."

#### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): nánxiōngnándì
    (Zhuyin): ㄋㄢˊ ㄒㄩㄥ ㄋㄢˊ ㄉㄧˋ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): naan$^4$ hing$^1$ naan$^4$ dai$^6$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: nánxiōngnándì
*** Zhuyin: ㄋㄢˊ ㄒㄩㄥ ㄋㄢˊ ㄉㄧˋ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: nánsyongnándì
*** Wade–Giles: nan$^2$-hsiung$^1$-nan$^2$-ti$^4$
*** Yale: nán-syūng-nán-dì
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: nanshiongnandih
*** Palladius: наньсюннаньди (nanʹsjunnanʹdi)
*** Sinological IPA : /nän³⁵ ɕi̯ʊŋ⁵⁵ nän³⁵ ti⁵¹/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: naan$^4$ hing$^1$ naan$^4$ dai$^6$
*** Yale: nàahn hīng nàahn daih
*** Cantonese Pinyin: naan$^4$ hing$^1$ naan$^4$ dai$^6$
*** Guangdong Romanization: nan$^4$ hing$^1$ nan$^4$ dei$^6$
*** Sinological IPA : /naːn²¹ hɪŋ⁵⁵ naːn²¹ tɐi̯²²/
* Middle Chinese: nan xjwaeng nan dejX|dejH
Rime :
| Character | 難 | 兄 | 弟 | 弟 |
| Reading # | 1/2 | 1/1 | 1/2 | 2/2 |
| Initial (聲) | 泥 (8) | 曉 (32) | 定 (7) | 定 (7) |
| Final (韻) | 寒 (61) | 庚 (112) | 齊 (39) | 齊 (39) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) | Level (Ø) | Rising (X) | Departing (H) |
| Openness (開合) | Open | Closed | Open | Open |
| Division (等) | I | III | IV | IV |
| Fanqie | 那干切 | 許榮切 | 徒禮切 | 特計切 |
| Baxter | nan | xjwaeng | dejX | dejH |
| Reconstructions |||||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /nɑn/ | /hˠwiæŋ/ | /dei$^X$/ | /dei$^H$/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /nɑn/ | /hʷᵚiaŋ/ | /dei$^X$/ | /dei$^H$/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /nɑn/ | /xiuaŋ/ | /dɛi$^X$/ | /dɛi$^H$/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /nan/ | /hwiajŋ/ | /dɛj$^X$/ | /dɛj$^H$/ |
| Li Rong | /nɑn/ | /xiuɐŋ/ | /dei$^X$/ | /dei$^H$/ |
| Wang Li | /nɑn/ | /xĭwɐŋ/ | /diei$^X$/ | /diei$^H$/ |
| Bernard Karlgren | /nɑn/ | /xi̯wɐŋ/ | /dʱiei$^X$/ | /dʱiei$^H$/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | nán | xiōng | dì | dì |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | naan$^4$ | hing$^1$ | dai$^6$ | dai$^6$ |

#### Idiom

難兄難弟
* hard to tell who is better; to be as good; equally-matched two
* (ironic) of the same ilk; to be both bad

##### Synonyms

* 難弟難兄／难弟难兄
* 元方季方

### Etymology 2

| | | disaster | elder brother | disaster | younger brother |
| trad. (難兄難弟) | trad. (難兄難弟) | 難 | 兄 | 難 | 弟 |
| simp. (难兄难弟) | simp. (难兄难弟) | 难 | 兄 | 难 | 弟 |

#### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): nànxiōngnàndì
    (Zhuyin): ㄋㄢˋ ㄒㄩㄥ ㄋㄢˋ ㄉㄧˋ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): naan$^6$ hing$^1$ naan$^6$ dai$^6$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: nànxiōngnàndì
*** Zhuyin: ㄋㄢˋ ㄒㄩㄥ ㄋㄢˋ ㄉㄧˋ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: nànsyongnàndì
*** Wade–Giles: nan$^4$-hsiung$^1$-nan$^4$-ti$^4$
*** Yale: nàn-syūng-nàn-dì
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: nannshiongnanndih
*** Palladius: наньсюннаньди (nanʹsjunnanʹdi)
*** Sinological IPA : /nän⁵¹ ɕi̯ʊŋ⁵⁵ nän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ti⁵¹/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: naan$^6$ hing$^1$ naan$^6$ dai$^6$
*** Yale: naahn hīng naahn daih
*** Cantonese Pinyin: naan$^6$ hing$^1$ naan$^6$ dai$^6$
*** Guangdong Romanization: nan$^6$ hing$^1$ nan$^6$ dei$^6$
*** Sinological IPA : /naːn²² hɪŋ⁵⁵ naːn²² tɐi̯²²/

#### Idiom

難兄難弟
* fellow sufferers; in the same boat

##### Synonyms

* 患難之交／患难之交 (huànnànzhījiāo)