四体不勤 — “Unaccustomed to physical labor”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 四体不勤?

四肢不劳动，形容脱离劳动。

四体不勤 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Unaccustomed to physical labor”. Idle and impractical; lacking practical skills and knowledge. Literally, “four limbs not industrious”.

Frequency

四体不勤 Pronunciation and Pinyin

四体不勤 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
四	sì	5	the number four
体	tǐ	7	body, form, experience, system
不	bù	4	not
勤	qín	13	diligent, hardworking

Example Sentence with 四体不勤

他从小娇生惯养，四体不勤，五谷不分，对农村生活一无所知。

Having been pampered since childhood, he was unused to physical labor and couldn't distinguish common grains, knowing absolutely nothing about rural life.

Origin and Story of 四体不勤

During the Spring and Autumn period, Confucius led his disciples on journeys through various states. After encountering setbacks in places like Wei, Chen, and Cai, they lost their way upon leaving Yepu.

Zilu went to ask for directions, but when he returned, Confucius was nowhere to be seen.

Zilu then asked a farmer who was tilling the land. The farmer retorted, "Your four limbs are not diligent, and you can't distinguish the five grains. Who could your master be?"

Zilu realized he had encountered a highly virtuous recluse and had to search for Confucius on his own.