We’re happy to bring you free Chinese lessons. This series dives into idioms and proverbs, meaningful and practical. Today’s phrase is 「牛童馬走」, with its usage explained below.
This time, our spotlight is on the idiom 「牛童馬走」. Its meaning and how it’s applied are described below.
In the old days, it generally referred to people of low status. Niu Tong is a shepherd boy; Ma Zou is a servant.
The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :
niú tóng mǎ zǒu
while its Cantonese pinyin is :
ngau4 tung4 ma5 jau2
The sheer number of Chinese idioms and their varied meanings make them fascinating to study. Let these materials assist you as you advance your Chinese skills and understanding.
