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
Zhuangzi's Daoist texts introduced this vivid image of being stunned (呆) like a wooden chicken (木鸡), originally describing meditation-induced stillness. Han Dynasty writers transformed it into a description of shock-induced paralysis. The comparison to a wooden chicken proved particularly apt - these normally active birds becoming unnaturally still perfectly captured the essence of stunned immobility.
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
融会贯通
róng huì guàn tōng
Master something completely
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一波三折
yī bō sān zhé
Many twists and turns
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改邪归正
gǎi xié guī zhèng
Return to righteousness
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好逸恶劳
hào yì wù láo
Love ease, hate work
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物极必反
wù jí bì fǎn
Extremes lead to reversal
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塞翁失马
sài wēng shī mǎ
Misfortune might be a blessing
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近水楼台
jìn shuǐ lóu tái
Advantage from close connections
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夜郎自大
yè láng zì dà
Overestimate oneself
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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”.