抱薪救火
抱薪救火 (bào xīn jiù huǒ) literally means “carry firewood to put out a fire” and expresses “make situation worse”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.
Also searched as: bao xin jiu huo, bao xin jiu huo,抱薪救火 meaning, 抱薪救火 in english
Make situation worse
Pronunciation: bào xīn jiù huǒ Literal meaning: Carry firewood to put out a fire
Origin & Usage
Su Dai argued against buying peace from Qin by ceding territory: serving Qin with land is like carrying (抱) firewood (薪) to put out (救) a fire (火) — while there is wood left, the fire will not go out. The Records of the Grand Historian keeps the argument, and Wei ceded the land anyway. The phrase names the specific case where the remedy is also the fuel, which distinguishes it from ordinary bad decisions. Borrowing to service debt is the standard case; so are concessions that invite more demands.
Examples
English: "Their hasty solution only complicated the existing issues"
Chinese: 他们仓促的解决方案只是使现有问题更加复杂
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about wisdom & learning
引火烧身
yǐn huǒ shāo shēn
Bring trouble upon oneself
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隔岸观火
gé àn guān huǒ
Observe troubles from safe distance
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城门失火
chéng mén shī huǒ
Innocent bystanders suffer from others' problems
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飞蛾扑火
fēi é pū huǒ
Be irresistibly drawn toward self-destruction
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卧薪尝胆
wò xīn cháng dǎn
Endure hardship for future success
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洞若观火
dòng ruò guān huǒ
Understand with absolute clarity
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火冒三丈
huǒ mào sān zhàng
Explode in extreme anger or rage
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炉火纯青
lú huǒ chún qīng
Highest level of mastery; consummate skill
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 抱薪救火 mean in English?
抱薪救火 (bào xīn jiù huǒ) literally translates to “Carry firewood to put out a fire” and is used to express “Make situation worse”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 抱薪救火 used?
Situation: Their hasty solution only complicated the existing issues
What is the pinyin for 抱薪救火?
The pinyin pronunciation for 抱薪救火 is “bào xīn jiù huǒ”.