How do you pronounce 隔靴搔痒?

隔靴搔痒 is pronounced as "gé xuē sāo yǎng" in Mandarin Chinese.

隔靴搔痒

Q: What does 隔靴搔痒 mean?

隔靴搔痒 (gé xuē sāo yǎng) literally means "Scratch itch through boot" and metaphorically means "Ineffective indirect solution". It belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category of Chinese idioms.

Q: When is 隔靴搔痒 used?

隔靴搔痒 is used when The vague explanation failed to address the underlying problem.

隔靴搔痒 (gé xuē sāo yǎng) literally means “scratch itch through boot” and expresses “ineffective indirect solution”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.

Also searched as: ge xue sao yang, ge xue sao yang,隔靴搔痒 meaning, 隔靴搔痒 in english

Ineffective indirect solution

Pronunciation: gé xuē sāo yǎng Literal meaning: Scratch itch through boot

Origin & Usage

To scratch (搔) an itch (痒) through (隔) the boot (靴). The image comes out of Chan writing, where it describes teaching that circles a matter without touching it. Everything about the action is correct except the one thing that matters, which is contact — and the phrase is precise that the effort is real and the frustration is caused by its being applied at one remove. Remedies, criticism and reforms that do not reach the thing they are aimed at.

Examples

English: "The vague explanation failed to address the underlying problem"

Chinese: 这个模糊的解释未能解决根本问题

Related Chinese Idioms

Similar idioms about wisdom & learning

不痛不痒

bù tòng bù yǎng

Ineffective and inconsequential

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纸上谈兵

zhǐ shàng tán bīng

All theory no practice

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囫囵吞枣

hú lún tūn zǎo

Accept without proper understanding

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本末倒置

běn mò dào zhì

Prioritize minor over fundamental matters

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买椟还珠

mǎi dú huán zhū

Valuing packaging over content

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过犹不及

guò yóu bù jí

Moderation in all things

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东施效颦

dōng shī xiào pín

Failed imitation lacking understanding

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盲人摸象

máng rén mō xiàng

Mistaking partial knowledge for complete wisdom

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does 隔靴搔痒 mean in English?

隔靴搔痒 (gé xuē sāo yǎng) literally translates to “Scratch itch through boot” and is used to express “Ineffective indirect solution”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.