闭门造车
闭门造车 (bì mén zào chē) literally means “build cart behind closed doors” and expresses “creating without practical feedback”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.
Also searched as: bi men zao che, bi men zao che,闭门造车 meaning, 闭门造车 in english
Creating without practical feedback
Pronunciation: bì mén zào chē Literal meaning: Build cart behind closed doors
Origin & Usage
This comes from Zhu Xi of the Song dynasty, who quotes an older saying: build (造) the cart (车) behind closed (闭) doors (门), and it will still match the wheel ruts when you take it outside. In the original the phrase is approving — the standards are shared, so working alone still produces something that fits. Later usage inverted it completely, and today it means working in isolation and producing something that fits nothing. Modern usage criticises planning done without reference to conditions outside the room.
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
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about wisdom & learning
班门弄斧
bān mén nòng fǔ
Showing amateur skills to masters
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闭月羞花
bì yuè xiū huā
Exceptionally beautiful
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登峰造极
dēng fēng zào jí
Reach highest attainable level
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刻舟求剑
kè zhōu qiú jiàn
Using outdated methods foolishly
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盲人摸象
máng rén mō xiàng
Mistaking partial knowledge for complete wisdom
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邯郸学步
hán dān xué bù
Lose abilities through misguided imitation
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南辕北辙
nán yuán běi zhé
Actions contrary to one's goals
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画饼充饥
huà bǐng chōng jī
Empty promises satisfy nothing
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 闭门造车 mean in English?
闭门造车 (bì mén zào chē) literally translates to “Build cart behind closed doors” and is used to express “Creating without practical feedback”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 闭门造车 used?
Situation: The product failed because developers designed it without customer feedback
What is the pinyin for 闭门造车?
The pinyin pronunciation for 闭门造车 is “bì mén zào chē”.