呆若木鸡
呆若木鸡 (dāi ruò mù jī) literally means “dumbfounded like wooden chicken” and expresses “completely stunned or dumbfounded”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: dai ruo mu ji, dai ruo mu ji,呆若木鸡 meaning, 呆若木鸡 in english
Completely stunned or dumbfounded
Pronunciation: dāi ruò mù jī Literal meaning: Dumbfounded like wooden chicken
Origin & Usage
This one comes from the Zhuangzi, on a trainer who spends forty days preparing a fighting cock. At each stage the bird is still too spirited; only at the end does it stand as if (若) carved of wood (木鸡), unmoved by any challenge, and other birds turn and flee without a fight. The wooden stillness is mastery, not stupefaction — the modern sense of being dumbstruck (呆) reverses the original completely. Somebody frozen with shock — the exact opposite of what the trainer had achieved.
Examples
English: "Upon hearing the unexpected news, the entire committee sat motionless in shock"
Chinese: 听到这个意外消息，整个委员会呆若木鸡地坐着
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
鸡飞蛋打
jī fēi dàn dǎ
To lose everything; complete failure
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闻鸡起舞
wén jī qǐ wǔ
Practice with determination
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鹤立鸡群
hè lì jī qún
Stand out from crowd
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杀鸡取卵
shā jī qǔ luǎn
Sacrifice long-term benefits for short-term gains
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目瞪口呆
mù dèng kǒu dāi
Dumbstruck
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洋洋大观
yáng yáng dà guān
A rich and impressive array
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两虎相争
liǎng hǔ xiāng zhēng
Fierce competition between equals
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望洋兴叹
wàng yáng xīng tàn
Feel overwhelmed by greatness
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 呆若木鸡 mean in English?
呆若木鸡 (dāi ruò mù jī) literally translates to “Dumbfounded like wooden chicken” and is used to express “Completely stunned or dumbfounded”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 呆若木鸡 used?
Situation: Upon hearing the unexpected news, the entire committee sat motionless in shock
What is the pinyin for 呆若木鸡?
The pinyin pronunciation for 呆若木鸡 is “dāi ruò mù jī”.