8 Chinese Idioms About Laziness & Procrastination
Colorful Chinese idioms about laziness, procrastination, and what happens when you don't put in the work.
Chinese culture values diligence, so its idioms have plenty to say about laziness and procrastination. These colorful expressions warn about the consequences of not putting in the effort.
未雨绸缪
wèi yǔ chóu móuPrepare before problems arise
Literal: Prepare umbrella before rain
Dating to the Zhou Dynasty's Book of Changes, this idiom literally describes preparing (缪) with silk cords (绸) before (未) the rain (雨) arrives. It originated from the practice of reinforcing buildings during dry seasons to prevent leaks. Ancient carpenters would inspect and repair roof bindings pree...
Example
She saved money each month for unexpected expenses
她每月存钱以备不时之需
胸有成竹
xiōng yǒu chéng zhúHave clear plan beforehand
Literal: Bamboo ready in heart
This idiom originated from Southern Song Dynasty painter Wen Yuke's approach to bamboo painting. Before touching brush to paper, he would completely visualize the bamboo (竹) in his heart/mind (胸), ensuring it was fully formed (成) in his imagination. The practice exemplified the Chinese artistic prin...
Example
The architect had a complete vision of the building before drawing the first line
建筑师在画第一笔之前就已经对建筑有了完整的构想
守株待兔
shǒu zhū dài tùWait passively for luck
Literal: Guard tree wait rabbit
This Warring States period parable tells of a farmer who, after seeing a rabbit die by running into a tree stump (株), waited (待) endlessly for more rabbits (兔) at the same spot. His guard (守) of the stump became a classic example of misguided persistence and inflexible thinking. The story appeared i...
Example
Instead of developing new skills, he just waited for promotions to come
他没有提升技能，只是等待升职机会
日积月累
rì jī yuè lěiGradual accumulation builds up
Literal: Days pile months gather
This idiom weaves together daily (日) accumulation (积) with monthly (月) gathering (累) to describe gradual progress. It first appeared in Han Dynasty texts discussing scholarly cultivation, where learning was seen as a process of constant, minute additions - like grains of sand forming a mountain. The...
Example
Her language skills improved through daily practice over years
她的语言能力通过多年的日常练习得到提高
聚沙成塔
jù shā chéng tǎSmall things build achievement
Literal: Gather sand make tower
The concept of gathering (聚) sand (沙) to build (成) a tower (塔) emerged from Buddhist temple construction practices during the Northern Wei Dynasty. The image of accumulated individual grains forming a massive structure became a metaphor for collective effort and gradual progress. It gained particula...
Example
The platform grew through millions of small user contributions
该平台通过数百万用户的小贡献而发展壮大
对牛弹琴
duì niú tán qínPresent to wrong audience
Literal: Play zither to cow
This satirical idiom describes playing (弹) the guqin zither (琴) to (对) a cow (牛), originating from the Warring States period. Historical records attribute it to musician Gongming Yi, who attempted to perform sophisticated melodies for a cow that continued grazing, completely indifferent to the refin...
Example
The professor's advanced theory completely confused the elementary students
教授的高级理论让小学生完全困惑不解
狡兔三窟
jiǎo tù sān kūAlways have backup plans
Literal: Clever rabbit has three burrows
This strategic idiom describes how a clever (狡) rabbit (兔) maintains three (三) burrows (窟), originating from the Warring States period text 'Strategies of the Warring States.' It recounts advice from statesman Fan Li that one should never rely on a single refuge or strategy. The specific number thre...
Example
The experienced businessman maintained multiple backup plans for every venture
这位经验丰富的商人为每个投资项目都准备了多个备用方案
庖丁解牛
páo dīng jiě niúEffortless skill through perfect practice
Literal: Chef Ding butchers ox
This idiom comes from Zhuangzi's famous 4th century BCE parable about Cook Ding (庖丁) skillfully butchering an ox (解牛). The story tells of him explaining to his lord how decades of practice led him beyond mere visual guidance to intuitive mastery. During the Han Dynasty, the tale became a standard me...
Example
After thirty years of practice, the surgeon performed complex operations with effortless precision
经过三十年的实践，这位外科医生以毫不费力的精确度进行复杂手术
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