奇貨可居

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Chinese

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strange; odd; weird
strange; odd; weird; wonderful; odd (Num)
 
goods; money; commodity
can; may; able to
can; may; able to; certain(ly); to suit; (particle used for emphasis)
 
reside
trad. (奇貨可居)
simp. (奇货可居)
Literally: “rare goods can be hoarded [to be sold when prices go up]”.

Etymology

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Earliest attested in Records of the Grand Historian:

奇貨可居」。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
奇货可居」。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Lǚ bùwéi gǔ hándān, jiàn ér lián zhī, yuē “cǐ qíhuòkějū”. [Pinyin]
Lü Buwei, who was trading in Handan, saw (Qin prince Yiren) and pitied him and said (to himself): "This is a rare good that can be hoarded."

Pronunciation

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Idiom

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奇貨可居

  1. to rely on some special skill, advantage, accomplishment, etc. to profiteer