How do you pronounce 刻舟求剑?

刻舟求剑 is pronounced as "kè zhōu qiú jiàn" in Mandarin Chinese.

刻舟求剑

Q: What does 刻舟求剑 mean?

刻舟求剑 (kè zhōu qiú jiàn) literally means "Mark boat to find sword" and metaphorically means "Using outdated methods foolishly". It belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category of Chinese idioms.

Q: When is 刻舟求剑 used?

刻舟求剑 is used when The company kept using outdated market research to make current business decisions.

刻舟求剑 (kè zhōu qiú jiàn) literally means “mark boat to find sword” and expresses “using outdated methods foolishly”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.

Also searched as: ke zhou qiu jian, ke zhou qiu jian,刻舟求剑 meaning, 刻舟求剑 in english

Using outdated methods foolishly

Pronunciation: kè zhōu qiú jiàn Literal meaning: Mark boat to find sword

Origin & Usage

The Lüshi Chunqiu, compiled around 239 BCE at the close of the Warring States period, tells of a man of Chu who dropped his sword (剑) from a boat (舟) into the river and, instead of diving after it, cut a notch (刻) in the boat's side to mark the spot, meaning to search (求) there once the boat docked. The boat had moved; the sword had not. It is a standing warning against applying a fixed rule to a situation that has shifted underneath it, and it is said of procedures still being followed after the thing they were written for has gone.

Examples

English: "The company kept using outdated market research to make current business decisions"

Chinese: 公司继续使用过时的市场研究来做出当前的商业决策

Related Chinese Idioms

Similar idioms about wisdom & learning

班门弄斧

bān mén nòng fǔ

Showing amateur skills to masters

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叶公好龙

yè gōng hào lóng

Professed love hiding actual fear

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精雕细刻

jīng diāo xì kè

Attention to detail

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画蛇添足

huà shé tiān zú

Ruin by adding extras

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对牛弹琴

duì niú tán qín

Present to wrong audience

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闭门造车

bì mén zào chē

Creating without practical feedback

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井底之蛙

jǐng dǐ zhī wā

Narrow-minded from limited experience

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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 刻舟求剑 mean in English?

刻舟求剑 (kè zhōu qiú jiàn) literally translates to “Mark boat to find sword” and is used to express “Using outdated methods foolishly”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.