THE STORIES BEHIND OUR FAVORITE CHINESE IDIOMS
There are many times in life when you can’t find the right words to describe a situation. Chinese people created idioms that reflect these situations. These short phrases encompass interesting morals and stories. The following are a few of our favorite Chinese idioms.
1. 拔苗助長 (拔苗助长)
bat6 miu4 zo6 zoeng2
bá miáo zhù zhǎng
The story starts with a farmer in ancient China. He wants the seedlings in his field to grow faster. He goes to the field every day in hopes of seeing taller seedlings. Several days passed and the seedlings did not show an inch of growth. The farmer starts to get anxious. In an attempt at getting them to grow faster and taller, he tugged at each seedling. The whole field took him from sunrise to sunset. Seeing the “taller” seedlings he happily went home and told his family that he made the seedlings grow today. When he went to the field the next morning, he saw that all of the seedlings had wilted and died.
The saying is describing that going against the laws of nature, seeking success in a haste, will in turn make things worse. It is better to go with the flow when a situation is not something you can control. Take it easy and relax your mindset.
2.不恥下問 (不耻下问)
bat1 ci2 haa6 man6
bù chǐ xià wèn
Confucius is one of China’s greatest philosophers, politicians, and educators. During a national festival, people noticed that he kept asking questions. People said that he was impolite in his manners. Confucius responded, “Asking questions to get answers to problems I do not understand is the best demonstration of my manners.” Not only was Confucius humble and curious, he also admired those who liked to ask questions. During that time, the Wei Empire’s great educator Kong Yu was given the title “文” (Wen; meaning literary) after his death. Confucius’ disciples did not think he was deserving. Confucius explained that Kong Yu was intelligent and had an ambition to learn. He did not feel embarrassed to ask people, of a lower education level, questions. Confucius believed Kong Yu was definitely worthy of the title.
This saying expresses that it shouldn’t be shameful to ask people with less education than yourself questions. This is a type of manner as well as a wise way of learning. Everyone has their own area of expertise. Only by asking questions can valuable knowledge be spread around and evolve for better use.
3. 此地無銀 (此地无银)
ci2 dei6 mou4 ngan4
cǐ dì wú yín
In Ancient China, there is a man named Zhang San. He is always worried that the three hundred dollars in his house will be stolen. He doesn’t feel safe no matter where he put the money. One night, utilizing the cloak of darkness as a cover, he went into his yard. San dug a hole by the wall and buried the money. After this whole tedious process, he is still worried that people would know. Therefore, he wrote a notice and taped it to the wall. The notice stated “There is no three hundred dollars here.” Finally feeling safe and secure, San went home. Not long after, his neighbor Wang Er saw the notice. Wang Er took the money and taped a second notice to the wall that states “Neighbor Wang Er did not steal.”
This saying describes situations when the guilty expose themselves without anyone asking.
4. 塞翁失馬，焉知非福
coi3 jung1 sat1 maa5 ，jin1 zi1 fei1 fuk1
sāi wēng shī mǎ ， yān zhī fēi fú
Back in ancient times, an old man living at the country borders owned many horses. One day, one of his best horses ran loose. Others felt sorry for him but the old man said, “It might be a good thing.” Not long after, the horse that ran loose came back and along with it came another strong steed. Others in the village were happy for the old man and congratulated him for his luck. But the protagonist himself was worried that something bad might happen. His worries were proven valid when his son broke his leg falling off this new horse. Friends and neighbors came to offer their condolences but the old man again thought this might not necessarily be a bad thing. Soon war broke out at the borders and many young men were drafted. Many of these young soldiers lost their lives on the battlefield. The old man’s son did not have to face the tragic fate because of his disability.
This saying is to express that a setback may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
There are many more Chinese idioms with interesting stories that can help us understand their meanings. If you are interested in more please let us know on Instagram or Facebook. Inspirlang also offers many other resources for you to check out. If you are interested in learning Cantonese, Mandarin, or Taishanese, check out the resources below!
Sources
成语故事 by 乖乖兔丛书
https://baike.baidu.com/item/焉知非福/18637495
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