螳臂当车
螳臂当车 (táng bì dāng chē) literally means “mantis arm against the cart” and expresses “futile resistance”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving strategy and action.
Also searched as: tang bi dang che, tang bi dang che,螳臂当车 meaning, 螳臂当车 in english
Futile resistance
Pronunciation: táng bì dāng chē Literal meaning: Mantis arm against the cart
Origin & Usage
In the Zhuangzi, Qu Boyu advises Yan He, who has just been appointed tutor to the violent heir of Duke Ling of Wei: 汝不知夫螳蜋乎？怒其臂以当车辙，不知其不胜任也 — do you not know the mantis, which raises its arms (螳臂) against (当) an oncoming cart (车) without knowing it cannot stop it? That is the excellence of its nature, and it is what will kill it. The image is not simply of futility — the mantis is brave and correct about the threat, and wrong only about the arithmetic. Hopeless opposition is the sense, and a trace of respect for the insect survives in it.
Examples
English: "One committee vote against a decision already taken elsewhere"
Chinese: 在早已定案的事情上投一张反对票
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about strategy & action
胸有成竹
xiōng yǒu chéng zhú
Have clear plan beforehand
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步步为营
bù bù wéi yíng
Advance methodically with caution
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退避三舍
tuì bì sān shè
Make concessions to avoid conflict
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旁敲侧击
páng qiāo cè jī
Approach indirectly to achieve goal
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暗度陈仓
àn dù chén cāng
Achieve secretly through misdirection
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釜底抽薪
fǔ dǐ chōu xīn
Eliminate root cause of problem
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推波助澜
tuī bō zhù lán
Amplifying existing trends or momentum
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鹬蚌相争
yù bàng xiāng zhēng
Mutual conflict benefits third party
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 螳臂当车 mean in English?
螳臂当车 (táng bì dāng chē) literally translates to “Mantis arm against the cart” and is used to express “Futile resistance”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Strategy & Action category.
When is 螳臂当车 used?
Situation: One committee vote against a decision already taken elsewhere
What is the pinyin for 螳臂当车?
The pinyin pronunciation for 螳臂当车 is “táng bì dāng chē”.