揠苗助长
揠苗助长 (yà miáo zhù zhǎng) literally means “pull seedlings to help growth” and expresses “harmful interference ruins growth”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning. It originates from ancient Chinese literature and remains commonly used in modern Mandarin.
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Harmful interference ruins growth
Pronunciation: yà miáo zhù zhǎng
Literal meaning: Pull seedlings to help growth
Origin & Usage
This counterproductive idiom describes pulling up (揠) seedlings (苗) to help (助) their growth (长), originating from Mencius's writings during the Warring States period. The story tells of an impatient farmer from Song who, dissatisfied with his seedlings' slow growth, pulled them up slightly each day, ultimately killing his entire crop. The tale became a cornerstone of agricultural wisdom about respecting natural development processes. During the Tang Dynasty, officials applied this metaphor to warn against excessive government intervention. Modern usage criticizes well-intentioned but harmful interference that disrupts natural development, particularly relevant in education, parenting, and management where forced acceleration often produces opposite effects.
Examples
English: "The manager's constant micromanagement hindered the team's natural development"
Chinese: 经理不断的微观管理阻碍了团队的自然发展
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 揠苗助长 mean in English?
揠苗助长 (yà miáo zhù zhǎng) literally translates to “Pull seedlings to help growth” and is used to express “Harmful interference ruins growth”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 揠苗助长 used?
Situation: This idiom applies when describing situations involving harmful interference ruins growth.
What is the pinyin for 揠苗助长?
The pinyin pronunciation for 揠苗助长 is “yà miáo zhù zhǎng”.