臥

See also: 卧

臥 U+81E5, 臥 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-81E5 ← 臤 [U+81E4] CJK Unified Ideographs 臦 → [U+81E6]

Translingual

Han character

臥 (Kangxi radical 131, 臣+2, 8 strokes in Chinese, 9 strokes in Japanese, Cangjie input 尸中人 (SLO), four-corner 7870₀, composition ⿰臣人)

Derived characters

• 䖙, 䭆, 𠥸 (Only for Taiwan standardized character forms. Mainland China characters contain 卧 instead of 臥)
• 𭈌, 𦱽, 𧗄, 𧨭, 𧇬, 𫇉

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 999, character 17
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 30071
• Dae Jaweon: page 1450, character 7
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2801, character 3
• Unihan data for U+81E5

Chinese

trad.		臥/卧
simp.		卧

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 臥
Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script

Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): 臣 (“eye pointing down”) + 人 (“person”).

Etymology

Compare Tibetan ངལ (ngal, “fatigue”), མངལ (mngal, “womb”, literally “body part of rest (for a fetus)”), Burmese ငွေ့ (ngwe., “gentle, moderate”). Possibly part of an areal word family; compare Vietnamese ngửa (“to turn upwards”) (Schuessler, 2007, p. 516).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): wò (wo⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄛˋ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): ngo⁴ / o⁴

  (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): wō

  (Nanjing, Nanjing Pinyin): ō

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): вә (və, III)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): ngo⁶

  (Dongguan, Jyutping++): ngo³

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): ngo⁵

• Gan (Wiktionary): ngo⁵
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): ngo

  (Hailu, HRS): ngo^ˇ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): ngo⁴

• Jin (Wiktionary): ve³
• Northern Min (KCR): ngŏ̤
• Eastern Min (BUC): nguô
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): gor⁵ / or⁴
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): gō / ngō͘ / gō͘

  (Teochew, Peng'im): o⁶

  (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): ngo⁷

• Southern Pinghua (Nanning, Jyutping++): ngo⁶
• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁶ngu / ⁶ng / ⁶ngou / ⁶wu / ⁶ngo / ⁵ngou
  • (Jinhua): ⁶uo
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): o⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wò
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄛˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wò
    • Wade–Giles: wo⁴
    • Yale: wò
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: woh
    • Palladius: во (vo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɔ⁵¹/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: ngo⁴ / o⁴
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: ngo / o
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋo²¹³/, /o²¹³/
  • (Xi'an)
    • Guanzhong Pinyin: wō
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /uo⁵⁵/
  • (Nanjing)
    • Nanjing Pinyin: ō
    • Nanjing Pinyin (numbered): o⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /o⁴⁴/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: вә (və, III)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /və⁴⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: ngo⁶
    • Yale: ngoh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ngo⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: ngo⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋɔː²²/
  • (Dongguan, Guancheng)
    • Jyutping++: ngo³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋɔ³²/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: ngo⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵑɡᵘɔ³²/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: ngo⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋo¹¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ngo
    • Hakka Romanization System: ngo
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ngo⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ŋo⁵⁵/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: ngo^ˇ
    • Sinological IPA: /ŋo¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: ngo⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ŋo⁵³/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: ve³
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /vɤ⁴⁵/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ngŏ̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋɔ²⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: nguô
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋuɔ²⁴²/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: gor⁵
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: gō̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɒ¹¹/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: gor⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɒ²¹/
  • (Putian, Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: or⁴
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: o̤̍
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɒ⁴²/

Note:

• gor5 - literary (e.g. 臥被);
• or4 - vernacular (e.g. 臥鋪).

• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: gō
    • Tâi-lô: gō
    • Phofsit Daibuun: goi
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /ɡo²²/
    • Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɡɤ³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei): /ɡo³³/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ngō͘
    • Tâi-lô: ngōo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ngo
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /ŋɔ̃⁴¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /ŋɔ̃³³/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: gō͘
    • Tâi-lô: gōo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: go
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /ɡɔ³³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: o⁶
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: ŏ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /o³⁵/
  • (Leizhou)
    • Leizhou Pinyin: ngo⁷
    • Sinological IPA: /ŋɔ⁵⁵/
• Southern Pinghua
  • (Nanning Pinghua, Tingzi)
    • Jyutping++: ngo⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋo²²/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Jiading, Songjiang)
    • Wugniu: ⁶ngu
    • MiniDict: ngu^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³ngu
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ŋu²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiading): /ŋu¹³/
    • Sinological IPA (Songjiang): /ŋu¹³/
  • (Northern: Chongming)
    • Wugniu: ⁶ng
    • MiniDict: ng^去
    • Sinological IPA (Chongming): /ɦŋ̍³¹³/
  • (Northern: Suzhou, Changzhou, Ningbo, Zhoushan)
    • Wugniu: ⁶ngou
    • MiniDict: ngou^去
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /ŋəu²³¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Changzhou): /ŋɤɯ²⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /ŋəu¹¹³/
    • Sinological IPA (Zhoushan): /ŋau¹³/
  • (Northern: Jiaxing)
    • Wugniu: ⁶wu
    • MiniDict: wu^去
    • Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /ɦu¹¹³/
  • (Northern: Hangzhou, Shaoxing)
    • Wugniu: ⁶ngo
    • MiniDict: ngo^去
    • Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /ŋo¹¹³/
    • Sinological IPA (Shaoxing): /ŋo¹¹/
  • (Northern: Fuyang)
    • Wugniu: ⁵ngou
    • Sinological IPA (Fuyang): /ŋʊ³³⁵/
  • (Jinhua)
    • Wugniu: ⁶uo
    • Sinological IPA (Jinhua): /uɤ¹⁴/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: o⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /o⁴⁵/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 臥
Mandarin	Beijing	/uo⁵¹/
	Harbin	/uo⁵³/
	Tianjin	/uo⁵³/
	Jinan	/və²¹/
	Qingdao	/və²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/uo³¹²/
	Xi'an	/uo⁴⁴/
	Xining	/u²¹³/
	Yinchuan	/və¹³/
	Lanzhou	/və¹³/
	Ürümqi	/vɤ²¹³/
	Wuhan	/uo³⁵/
	Chengdu	/o¹³/ /ŋo¹³/
	Guiyang	/o²¹³/
	Kunming	/o²¹²/
	Nanjing	/o⁴⁴/
	Hefei	/ʊ⁵³/
Jin	Taiyuan	/vɤ⁴⁵/
	Pingyao	/uə³⁵/
	Hohhot	/vɤ⁵⁵/
Wu	Shanghai	/ŋu²³/
	Suzhou	/ŋəu³¹/
	Hangzhou	/ɦo¹³/
	Wenzhou	/ŋ²²/
Hui	Shexian	/ŋo²²/
	Tunxi	/ŋo¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/o⁵⁵/
	Xiangtan	/ŋo⁵⁵/
Gan	Nanchang	/ŋo²¹/
Hakka	Meixian	/ŋo⁵³/
	Taoyuan
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/ŋɔ²²/
	Nanning	/ŋɔ²²/
	Hong Kong	/ŋɔ²²/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/go²²/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/ŋuɔ²⁴²/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/ŋɔ²⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/o³⁵/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/ŋo³⁵/ /ai²¹³/ 訓偃

---

• Middle Chinese: ngwaH

Rime
Character	臥
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	疑 (31)
Final (韻)	戈 (95)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	吾貨切
Baxter	ngwaH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ŋuɑH/
Pan Wuyun	/ŋuɑH/
Shao Rongfen	/ŋuɑH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ŋwaH/
Li Rong	/ŋuɑH/
Wang Li	/ŋuɑH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ŋuɑH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wò
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ngo6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ŋ]ˤ[o]j-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ŋʷaːls/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	臥
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	wò
Middle Chinese	‹ ngwaH ›
Old Chinese	/*[ŋ]ˁ[o]j-s/
English	lie down, sleep
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	臥
Reading #	1/1
No.	13061
Phonetic component	臥
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	臥
Old Chinese	/*ŋʷaːls/
Notes	原象人倚臣臨時休憩， 或雲臣爲宿右下席形之訛

Definitions

臥

1. to lie down
2. to sleep; to rest
3. (of animals) to crouch
4. (literary) to live in seclusion; to retreat
5. (regional) to poach (to cook in boiling water)
6. (in compounds) containing a bed; used for sleeping

   臥房／卧房  ―  wòfáng  ―  bedroom

   臥鋪／卧铺  ―  wòpù  ―  sleeping berth

7. (in compounds) sleeper

   軟臥／软卧  ―  ruǎnwò  ―  soft sleeper

   硬臥／硬卧  ―  yìngwò  ―  hard sleeper

Synonyms

• (to live in seclusion):

edit

• 屏居 (bǐngjū) (literary)
• 幽居 (yōujū) (literary)
• 幽棲 / 幽栖 (yōuqī) (literary)
• 杜門 / 杜门 (dùmén) (literary, figurative)
• 臥雲 / 卧云 (wòyún) (literary)
• 豹隱 / 豹隐 (bàoyǐn) (literary)
• 辭世 / 辞世 (císhì) (literary)
• 退居 (tuìjū) (literary)
• 退隱 / 退隐 (tuìyǐn) (of an official, renowned person)
• 遁世 (dùnshì) (literary)
• 遁跡 / 遁迹 (dùnjì) (literary)
• 避世 (bìshì)
• 閉門 / 闭门 (bìmén) (literary, figurative)
• 隱居 / 隐居 (yǐnjū)
• 隱逸 / 隐逸 (yǐnyì) (literary)

Compounds

• 一床一臥 / 一床一卧
• 一房一臥 / 一房一卧
• 仰臥 / 仰卧 (yǎngwò)
• 俯臥 / 俯卧 (fǔwò)
• 倒臥 / 倒卧 (dǎowò)
• 倒街臥巷 / 倒街卧巷
• 偃旗臥鼓 / 偃旗卧鼓
• 側臥 / 侧卧
• 偃臥 / 偃卧
• 元龍高臥 / 元龙高卧
• 北窗高臥 / 北窗高卧
• 吞花臥酒 / 吞花卧酒
• 嘗膽臥薪 / 尝胆卧薪
• 坐臥不安 / 坐卧不安
• 坐臥不寧 / 坐卧不宁 (zuòwòbùníng)
• 堅臥 / 坚卧
• 堅臥煙霞 / 坚卧烟霞
• 堅臥白門 / 坚卧白门
• 安枕而臥 / 安枕而卧
• 平臥 / 平卧 (píngwò)
• 平臥莖 / 平卧茎
• 房臥 / 房卧
• 抱火臥薪 / 抱火卧薪
• 抵足而臥 / 抵足而卧
• 攀車臥轍 / 攀车卧辙
• 攀轅臥轍 / 攀辕卧辙
• 東山高臥 / 东山高卧
• 橫臥 / 横卧 (héngwò)
• 橫躺豎臥 / 横躺竖卧
• 櫜弓臥鼓 / 櫜弓卧鼓
• 王祥臥冰 / 王祥卧冰
• 眠花臥柳 / 眠花卧柳
• 眠霜臥雪 / 眠霜卧雪
• 睡臥不寧 / 睡卧不宁
• 臥不安席 / 卧不安席
• 臥不安枕 / 卧不安枕
• 臥人兒 / 卧人儿
• 臥兔兒 / 卧兔儿
• 臥內 / 卧内 (wònèi)
• 臥具 / 卧具 (wòjù)
• 臥冰 / 卧冰 (wòbīng)
• 臥單 / 卧单
• 臥室 / 卧室 (wòshì)
• 臥床 / 卧床 (wòchuáng)
• 臥底 / 卧底 (wòdǐ)
• 臥式 / 卧式 (wòshì)
• 臥房 / 卧房 (wòfáng)
• 臥旗息鼓 / 卧旗息鼓
• 臥月眠霜 / 卧月眠霜
• 臥果兒 / 卧果儿
• 臥榻 / 卧榻 (wòtà)
• 臥榻鼾睡 / 卧榻鼾睡
• 臥治 / 卧治
• 臥牛城 / 卧牛城
• 臥狼當道 / 卧狼当道
• 臥理 / 卧理
• 臥理淮陽 / 卧理淮阳
• 臥病 / 卧病 (wòbìng)
• 臥病在床 / 卧病在床 (wòbìngzàichuáng)
• 臥碑 / 卧碑
• 臥艙 / 卧舱
• 臥薪嘗膽 / 卧薪尝胆 (wòxīnchángdǎn)
• 臥虎 / 卧虎
• 臥虎藏龍 / 卧虎藏龙 (wòhǔcánglóng)
• 臥蛋 / 卧蛋
• 臥蠶眉 / 卧蚕眉 (wòcánméi)
• 臥起 / 卧起
• 臥車 / 卧车 (wòchē)
• 臥軌 / 卧轨 (wòguǐ)
• 臥遊 / 卧游
• 臥鋪 / 卧铺 (wòpù)
• 臥雪 / 卧雪
• 臥雪吞氈 / 卧雪吞毡
• 臥雪眠霜 / 卧雪眠霜
• 臥雲 / 卧云 (wòyún)
• 臥魚 / 卧鱼
• 臥鼓偃旗 / 卧鼓偃旗
• 臥龍 / 卧龙 (Wòlóng)
• 臥龍岡 / 卧龙冈
• 藏龍臥虎 / 藏龙卧虎 (cánglóngwòhǔ)
• 蛹臥 / 蛹卧
• 行動坐臥 / 行动坐卧
• 袁安臥雪 / 袁安卧雪
• 被臥 / 被卧
• 起臥 / 起卧 (qǐwò)
• 醉臥 / 醉卧
• 鋪臥 / 铺卧
• 鐵臥單 / 铁卧单
• 高枕安臥 / 高枕安卧
• 高枕而臥 / 高枕而卧
• 高臥 / 高卧
• 高臥東山 / 高卧东山
• 龍跳虎臥 / 龙跳虎卧

References

• “臥”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• 李如龙 [Li, Ru-long]; 刘福铸 [Liu, Fu-zhu]; 吴华英 [Wu, Hua-ying]; 黄国城 [Huang, Guo-cheng] (2019), “卧”, in 莆仙方言调查报告 [Investigation Report on Puxian Dialect] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), Xiamen University Press, →ISBN, page 129.

Japanese

Kanji

臥

(Jinmeiyō kanji)

1. to lie down, to prostrate; prostrate

Readings

• Go-on: が (ga)^{←ぐわ (gwa, historical)}
• Kan-on: が (ga)^{←ぐわ (gwa, historical)}
• Kun: ふす (fusu, 臥す)、ふさる (fusaru, 臥さる)、ふせる (fuseru, 臥せる)、ふせる (fuseru, 臥る)、がす (gasu, 臥す)、こゆ (koyu, 臥ゆ)、こやす (koyasu, 臥す)、こやる (koyaru, 臥る)、ふしど (fushido)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
臥
が Jinmeiyō
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 臥 (MC ngwaH).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɡa̠]

Affix

臥(が) • (ga) ^{←ぐわ (gwa)?}

1. to bend down, to lie down, to prostrate

Korean

Hanja

臥 • (wa) (hangeul 와)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

臥: Hán Nôm readings: ngọa/ngoạ

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.