黔驴技穷
黔驴技穷 (qián lǘ jì qióng) literally means “donkey's tricks exhausted” and expresses “run out of tricks”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: qian lv ji qiong, qian lv ji qiong,黔驴技穷 meaning, 黔驴技穷 in english
Run out of tricks
Pronunciation: qián lǘ jì qióng Literal meaning: Donkey's tricks exhausted
Origin & Usage
Liu Zongyuan's fable has no donkeys in Guizhou (黔) until a meddler ships one in and turns it loose on a hillside. A tiger sees this huge thing, takes it for a god, and watches from cover. The donkey (驴) brays; the tiger bolts. Nothing happens, so the tiger edges closer, brushes against it, provokes it — and the donkey, furious, kicks. That is all it has. 技止此耳, the tiger concludes: its skills (技) end (穷) here. Then it eats the donkey. The phrase describes a bluff that held only until somebody tested it.
Examples
English: "After his one viral video, he struggled to recreate that success"
Chinese: 在他那一个视频走红之后，就再也没能复制那样的成功
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
毛遂自荐
máo suì zì jiàn
Volunteer oneself confidently
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雕虫小技
diāo chóng xiǎo jì
Trivial skill
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守株待兔
shǒu zhū dài tù
Wait passively for luck
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回味无穷
huí wèi wú qióng
Lingering reflection
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两虎相争
liǎng hǔ xiāng zhēng
Fierce competition between equals
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指鹿为马
zhǐ lù wéi mǎ
Deliberately distort truth as power display
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层出不穷
céng chū bù qióng
Continuously emerging in endless succession
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穷途末路
qióng tú mò lù
No options left
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 黔驴技穷 mean in English?
黔驴技穷 (qián lǘ jì qióng) literally translates to “Donkey's tricks exhausted” and is used to express “Run out of tricks”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 黔驴技穷 used?
Situation: After his one viral video, he struggled to recreate that success
What is the pinyin for 黔驴技穷?
The pinyin pronunciation for 黔驴技穷 is “qián lǘ jì qióng”.
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