| 龙生九子 |
lóng shēng jiǔ zǐ |
lit. the dragon has nine sons (idiom); fig. all kinds of characters / good and bad intermingled / It takes all sorts to make a world. |
| 龙 |
Lóng |
surname Long |
| 龙 |
lóng |
Chinese dragon; loong / (fig.) emperor / dragon / (bound form) dinosaur |
| 生 |
shēng |
to be born / to give birth / life / to grow / raw / uncooked / student |
| 九 |
jiǔ |
nine / 9 |
| 子 |
zǐ |
son / child / seed / egg / small thing / 1st earthly branch: 11 p.m.–1 a.m., midnight, 11th solar month (7th December to 5th January), year of the rat / viscount, fourth of five orders of nobility 五等爵位 / ancient Chinese compass point: 0° (north) / subsidiary; subordinate; (prefix) sub- |
| 子 |
zi |
noun suffix, as in 椅子 "chair" |