火中取栗

Pronunciation: huǒ zhōng qǔ lì Literal meaning: Take chestnuts from fire

Origin & Usage

The idiom 火中取栗 (huǒ zhōng qǔ lì) originates from a fable by Jean de La Fontaine, known as 'The Monkey and the Cat.' In this story, a monkey named Bertrand and a cat named Raton live together. One day, they see chestnuts roasting in a fire. The monkey persuades the cat to retrieve the chestnuts from the fire, promising a share of the reward. The cat carefully pulls the chestnuts out, burning its paws in the process, while the monkey eats them all. This idiom illustrates the idea of someone being manipulated into taking risks for another's benefit. The characters break down as follows: 火 (huǒ, fire), 中 (zhōng, in), 取 (qǔ, take), 栗 (lì, chestnut). In modern usage, it describes situations where someone is used by others to achieve their goals, often at their own expense.

Examples

English: "He always finds a way to benefit while others do the hard work."

Chinese: 他总是能在别人辛苦时捞到好处。