眾人皆醉我獨醒

Chinese
 
everybody; everyone; normal people
everybody; everyone; normal people; ordinary people; commoner
 all; each and every; in all cases intoxicated I; me
 
alone; independent; single
alone; independent; single; sole; only
 to wake up; to awaken; to be awake
trad. (眾人皆醉我獨醒/衆人皆醉我獨醒) 眾人/衆人 皆 醉 我 獨 醒
simp. (众人皆醉我独醒) 众人 皆 醉 我 独 醒
Literally: “everyone is drunk and I am the only one sober”.

Etymology

From Chu Ci:

屈原曰：「舉世皆濁我獨清，眾人皆醉我獨醒，是以見放。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
屈原曰：「举世皆浊我独清，众人皆醉我独醒，是以见放。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: The Verses of Chu, 4th century BCE – 2nd century CE
Qūyuán yuē: “Jǔshì jiē zhuó wǒ dú qīng, zhòngrénjiēzuìwǒdúxǐng, shìyǐ jiàn fàng.” [Pinyin]
Qu Yuan replied, "The entire world is corrupt and I am clean alone; everyone is drunk while I am sober alone. Thus, I was exiled."

Pronunciation

  • Mandarin
    (Pinyin): zhòngrén jiē zuì wǒ dú xǐng
    (Zhuyin): ㄓㄨㄥˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄐㄧㄝ ㄗㄨㄟˋ ㄨㄛˇ ㄉㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄥˇ
  • Cantonese (Jyutping): zung3 jan4 gaai1 zeoi3 ngo5 duk6 sing2

Idiom

眾人皆醉我獨醒

  1. (figuratively) everyone is wrong while I am the only one correct; everyone is depraved while I am the only one virtuous

Synonyms
  • 眾醉獨醒／众醉独醒
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