四川

Chinese

		four	river; creek; plain river; creek; plain; an area of level country; Sichuan province (abbrev.)
simp. and trad. (四川)		四	川
Literally: “four mountain passes”.

Etymology

During the Tang dynasty, the area of what is now Sichuan was administratively divided into three regions based on the main throughfares through the mountains 川道 (“mountain pass (often near a river)”) at the time. During the Song dynasty, these regions were further redivided into four separate regions, giving rise to its modern name.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): Sìchuān

  (Zhuyin): ㄙˋ ㄔㄨㄢ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): Si⁴ cuan¹

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): sei³ cyun¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): lhu¹ cun¹

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): Si-chhôn

  (Meixian, Guangdong): xi⁴ con¹

• Eastern Min (BUC): Sé̤ṳ-chiŏng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): Sù-chhoan / Sìr-chhoan / Sì-chhoan

  (Teochew, Peng'im): si³ cuêng¹ / si³ cuang¹

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵sy-tshoe

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: Sìchuān
    • Zhuyin: ㄙˋ ㄔㄨㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: Sìhchuan
    • Wade–Giles: Ssŭ⁴-chʻuan¹
    • Yale: Sz̀-chwān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Syhchuan
    • Palladius: Сычуань (Syčuanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sz̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än⁵⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: Si⁴ cuan¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: Scuan
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sz̩²¹³ t͡sʰuan⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: sei³ cyun¹
    • Yale: sei chyūn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sei³ tsyn¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: séi³ qun¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sei̯³³ t͡sʰyːn⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: lhu¹ cun¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬu³³ t͡sʰun³³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Si-chhôn
    • Hakka Romanization System: xi con^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: xi⁴ con¹
    • Sinological IPA: /si⁵⁵ t͡sʰon²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: xi⁴ con¹
    • Sinological IPA: /si⁵³ t͡sʰɔn⁴⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: Sé̤ṳ-chiŏng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sy²¹³⁻⁵⁵ ^(t͡sʰ-)ʒuoŋ⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Sù-chhoan
    • Tâi-lô: Sù-tshuan
    • Phofsit Daibuun: suozhoafn
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /su²¹⁻⁵³ t͡sʰuan⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /su²¹⁻⁴¹ t͡sʰuan⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /su¹¹⁻⁵³ t͡sʰuan⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Sìr-chhoan
    • Tâi-lô: Sìr-tshuan
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /sɯ⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ t͡sʰuan³³/
  • (Hokkien: Jinjiang, Philippines)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Sì-chhoan
    • Tâi-lô: Sì-tshuan
    • Phofsit Daibuun: siezhoafn
    • IPA (Jinjiang, Philippines): /si⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ t͡sʰuan³³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: si³ cuêng¹ / si³ cuang¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sì tshueng / sì tshuang
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /si²¹³⁻⁵⁵ t͡sʰueŋ³³/, /si²¹³⁻⁵⁵ t͡sʰuaŋ³³/

Note:

• si3 cuêng1 - Chaozhou;
• si3 cuang1 - Shantou.

• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁵sy-tshoe
    • MiniDict: sy^去 tshoe
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²sr-tshoe
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /sz̩³³ t͡sʰø⁴⁴/

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• Middle Chinese: sijH tsyhwen

Rime
Character	四	川
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	心 (16)	昌 (24)
Final (韻)	脂 (15)	仙 (78)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Closed
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	息利切	昌緣切
Baxter	sijH	tsyhwen
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/siɪH/	/t͡ɕʰiuᴇn/
Pan Wuyun	/siH/	/t͡ɕʰʷiɛn/
Shao Rongfen	/sjɪH/	/t͡ɕʰjuæn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/siH/	/cʰwian/
Li Rong	/siH/	/t͡ɕʰiuɛn/
Wang Li	/siH/	/t͡ɕʰĭwɛn/
Bernhard Karlgren	/siH/	/t͡ɕʰi̯wɛn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	sì	chuān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	si3	cyun1

Proper noun

四川

1. (～省) Sichuan (a province of China)

Derived terms

• 四川盆地 (Sìchuān Péndì)
• 四川胡椒 (Sìchuān hújiāo)
• 四川草
• 四川菜
• 四川話／四川话 (Sìchuānhuà)

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (四川):

• → Japanese: 四(し)川(せん) (Shisen)
• → Korean: 사천(四川) (Sacheon)
• → Vietnamese: Tứ Xuyên (四川)

→ Catalan: Sichuan

→ English: Sichuan, Szechuan, Szechwan

→ French: Sichuan, Sétchouan

→ Korean: 쓰촨 (Sseuchwan)

→ Manchu: ᠰᡟᠴᡠᠸᠠᠨ (sycuwan)

→ Portuguese: Sichuan, Setsuan, Szechwan, Sujuão

→ Russian: Сычуа́нь (Syčuánʹ), сычуа́нец (syčuánec)

→ Spanish: Sichuán

→ Zhuang: Swconh

Japanese

Kanji in this term
四	川
し Grade: 1	せん Grade: 1
on'yomi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɕisẽ̞ɴ]

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Proper noun

四(し)川(せん) • (Shisen) 

1. Sichuan

Derived terms

• 四(し)川(せん)語(ご) (Shisengo)

Korean

Hanja in this term
四	川

Proper noun

四川 • (Sacheon) (hangeul 사천)

1. hanja form^? of 사천 (“Sichuan”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
四	川

Proper noun

四川

1. chữ Hán form of Tứ Xuyên (“Sichuan”).