草木皆兵
草木皆兵 (cǎo mù jiē bīng) literally means “grass trees all soldiers” and expresses “extreme paranoia sees threats everywhere”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: cao mu jie bing, cao mu jie bing,草木皆兵 meaning, 草木皆兵 in english
Extreme paranoia sees threats everywhere
Pronunciation: cǎo mù jiē bīng Literal meaning: Grass trees all soldiers
Origin & Usage
At the Battle of the Fei River in 383 CE, Fu Jian of the Former Qin led an enormous army against the far smaller forces of the Eastern Jin. Surveying the Jin lines from a city wall, he mistook the grass (草) and trees (木) on distant Bagong Mountain for massed soldiers (兵), taking the entire hillside to be (皆) troops. His army was routed. It shares an origin with 风声鹤唳, which describes the same defeated force fleeing in panic. Fear that has started manufacturing its own evidence.
Examples
English: "After the security breach, the paranoid CEO suspected every employee of potential espionage"
Chinese: 在安全漏洞事件后，这位偏执的首席执行官怀疑每位员工都可能从事间谍活动
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
临危不惧
lín wēi bù jù
Courage under pressure
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争先恐后
zhēng xiān kǒng hòu
Rush eagerly to be first, not last
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杞人忧天
qǐ rén yōu tiān
Worry needlessly about impossible disasters
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高枕无忧
gāo zhěn wú yōu
Completely free from worry or concern
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后顾之忧
hòu gù zhī yōu
Worry about the home front left behind
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有口皆碑
yǒu kǒu jiē bēi
Universally praised
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风声鹤唳
fēng shēng hè lì
Overly fearful and suspicious
Learn more →
杯弓蛇影
bēi gōng shé yǐng
Needlessly suspicious
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 草木皆兵 mean in English?
草木皆兵 (cǎo mù jiē bīng) literally translates to “Grass trees all soldiers” and is used to express “Extreme paranoia sees threats everywhere”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 草木皆兵 used?
Situation: After the security breach, the paranoid CEO suspected every employee of potential espionage
What is the pinyin for 草木皆兵?
The pinyin pronunciation for 草木皆兵 is “cǎo mù jiē bīng”.
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