闭门造车

Pronunciation: bì mén zào chē
Literal meaning: Build cart behind closed doors

Origin & Usage

This isolated idiom describes building (造) a cart (车) behind closed (闭) doors (门), originating from the Warring States period text 'Hanfeizi.' It tells of a man who crafted a carriage in isolation, only to discover it couldn't fit through doorways or navigate common roads. The tale gained prominence during the Han Dynasty as governance advisors cautioned against developing policies without understanding real-world conditions. The specific reference to carriage-making was meaningful as it represented complex engineering requiring practical adaptation. Modern usage criticizes theoretical development without practical testing or feedback, particularly relevant in product design, policy creation, and educational methods where disconnection from actual users often leads to impractical results.

Examples

English: "The product failed because developers designed it without customer feedback"

Chinese: 这个产品失败是因为开发人员在没有客户反馈的情况下设计了它

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