焚書坑儒

Pronunciation

Peng'im: ung5 ze1 kên1 ru5
POJ: ûng-tsur-kheⁿ-jû
Variety: chaozhou

Pronunciation note: Realised [dz] ~ [z] ~ [l] depending on speaker and register; many younger speakers merge it with /l/. The cited sources corroborate [dz], relaxing to [z] for younger/overseas speakers; neither attests the further merger to /l/.

Meanings and usage

idiom: burning of books and burying of scholars (Qin dynasty event), ruthless suppression of scholarship or dissent
焚書坑儒

Usage: also, figuratively, historical, idiomatic

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