曲突徙薪
曲突徙薪 (qū tū xǐ xīn) literally means “bend the chimney, move the firewood” and expresses “take precautions before disaster”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.
Also searched as: qu tu xi xin, qu tu xi xin,曲突徙薪 meaning, 曲突徙薪 in english
Take precautions before disaster
Pronunciation: qū tū xǐ xīn Literal meaning: Bend the chimney, move the firewood
Origin & Usage
A guest noticed that his host's chimney ran straight up beside a stack of firewood, and advised him to bend (曲) the flue (突) and move (徙) the wood (薪). The host said nothing. The house burned; the neighbours who scorched themselves putting it out were feasted in order of injury, and the man who had given the advice was not invited. The Book of Han draws the moral in a line usually quoted with the idiom: 曲突徙薪亡恩泽，焦头烂额为上客 — bending the flue and shifting the wood earns no gratitude, while the scorched and blistered are seated as honoured guests.
Examples
English: "The engineer who warned about the fault was not invited to the review"
Chinese: 当初提出隐患的工程师，事后并没有被请去参加复盘
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about wisdom & learning
风云突变
fēng yún tū biàn
Sudden dramatic change
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异曲同工
yì qǔ tóng gōng
Different methods, equally good results
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曲高和寡
qǔ gāo hè guǎ
Sophisticated work appreciated by few
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抱薪救火
bào xīn jiù huǒ
Make situation worse
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釜底抽薪
fǔ dǐ chōu xīn
Eliminate root cause of problem
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卧薪尝胆
wò xīn cháng dǎn
Endure hardship for future success
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 曲突徙薪 mean in English?
曲突徙薪 (qū tū xǐ xīn) literally translates to “Bend the chimney, move the firewood” and is used to express “Take precautions before disaster”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 曲突徙薪 used?
Situation: The engineer who warned about the fault was not invited to the review
What is the pinyin for 曲突徙薪?
The pinyin pronunciation for 曲突徙薪 is “qū tū xǐ xīn”.