四体不勤，五谷不分 — “Unable to do manual labor and distinguish common grains”
四体不勤，五谷不分 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Unable to do manual labor and distinguish common grains”. Refers to someone who is out of touch with practical work and lacks basic life skills and knowledge of agricultural matters. Literally, “The four limbs are not diligent, the five grains cannot be distinguished”.
四体不勤，五谷不分 Pronunciation and Pinyin
四体不勤，五谷不分 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 四体不勤，五谷不分
Origin and Story of 四体不勤，五谷不分
During the Spring and Autumn period, Confucius traveled around various states with his student Zilu, promoting Confucianism.
One day, Zilu got separated from the group and met an old farmer. He asked the farmer if he had seen his teacher.
The old farmer replied, "Your four limbs are not diligent, and you cannot distinguish the five grains. Who could your master be?" Zilu realized his rudeness and apologized.
The old farmer then invited him to his home.
The next day, Confucius considered the old farmer to be a recluse.
Idioms Related to 四体不勤，五谷不分
Synonyms of 四体不勤，五谷不分
Antonyms of 四体不勤，五谷不分
More idioms starting with 四
- sì四bù不xiàng像neither fish nor fowl
- sì四bù不niù拗liù六The minority cannot prevail against the majority
- sì四xiāng乡bā八zhèn镇surrounding villages and towns
- sì四shū书wǔ五jīng经Confucian classics
- sì四tíng亭bā八dàng当everything arranged meticulously and appropriately
- sì四tǐ体bù不qín勤unaccustomed to physical labor
- sì四tǐ体bǎi百hái骸all parts of the body
- sì四tíng停bā八dāng当everything meticulously arranged and perfectly in order
- sì四chōng冲bā八dá达highly accessible and well-connected
- sì四chōng冲liù六dá达accessible from all directions
- sì四fēn分wǔ五pōu剖fragmented and disunited
- sì四fēn分wǔ五luò落scattered and in disarray
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Open the tool →Questions about 四体不勤，五谷不分
What does 四体不勤，五谷不分 mean?
四体不勤，五谷不分 (sì tǐ bù qín ， wǔ gǔ bù fēn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Unable to do manual labor and distinguish common grains”.
How do you pronounce 四体不勤，五谷不分?
四体不勤，五谷不分 is pronounced sì tǐ bù qín ， wǔ gǔ bù fēn in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 四体不勤，五谷不分 literally mean?
Literally, 四体不勤，五谷不分 means “the four limbs are not diligent, the five grains cannot be distinguished”. It is used to mean “Unable to do manual labor and distinguish common grains”.
Where does 四体不勤，五谷不分 come from?
四体不勤，五谷不分 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 四体不勤，五谷不分?
四体：指人的两手两足；五谷：通常指稻、黍、稷、麦、菽。指不参加劳动，不能辨别五谷。形容脱离生产劳动，缺乏生产知识。