zhǐ xǔ zhōu guān fàng huǒ , bù xǔ bǎi xìng diǎn dēng

Traditional: 只許州官放火，不許百姓點燈

只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯 (zhǐ xǔ zhōu guān fàng huǒ , bù xǔ bǎi xìng diǎn dēng) is a Chinese word meaning “only the official is allowed to light the fire; Gods may do what cattle may not; quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi”.

Meanings

  1. 1only the official is allowed to light the fire
  2. 2Gods may do what cattle may not
  3. 3quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi

Characters in 只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯

只zhǐ · only; merely; just许xǔ · to allow州zhōu · prefecture官guān · government official放fàng · to put火huǒ · fire不bù · no; not so许xǔ · to allow百bǎi · hundred姓xìng · family name; surname点diǎn · to touch briefly; to tap灯dēng · lamp

Related words

不no; not so点to touch briefly; to tap只only; merely; just只grain that has begun to ripen只classifier for birds and certain animals, one of a pair, some utensils, vessels etc只variant of 隻|只[zhi1]只variant of 只[zhi3]只variant of 只[zhi3]也许perhaps; maybe不过only只是merely; only; just; nothing but不要don't!; must not

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