一板三眼 — Chinese Idiom
一板三眼 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “describing speech or actions that are methodical, orderly, and adhere strictly to rules or procedures; sometimes also used to describe someone who is rigid, inflexible, and lacks adaptability in their approach”.
一板三眼 Pronunciation and Pinyin
一板三眼 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 一板三眼
Origin and Story of 一板三眼
During the Qing Dynasty, the renowned writer Wu Jianren was deeply dissatisfied with the social conditions and, in particular, the rigid and inflexible imperial examination system (科举取士制度).
In his novel 'The Muddled World' (糊涂世界), he included a passage that reflected his criticism: 'My dear friend, look at the current situation. Even if Confucius himself were to come back to life and do things in such a rigid and unbending way (一板三眼), he would still be nothing more than a pedant.'
Idioms Related to 一板三眼
Synonyms of 一板三眼
More idioms starting with 一
- yī一dīng丁bù不shí识completely illiterate
- yī一dīng丁diǎn点er儿a tiny bit
- yī一bù不zuò作，，èr二bù不xiū休Finish what you start
- yī一bù不zuò做，，èr二bù不xiū休in for a penny, in for a pound
- yī一bù不yā压zhòng众，，bǎi百bù不suí随yī一The minority cannot prevail against the majority
- yī一bù不niǔ扭zhòng众One person cannot defy the crowd
- yī一shì世zhī之xióng雄A hero of a generation
- yī一shì世lóng龙mén门A generation's revered influential figure
- yī一qiū丘yī一hè壑live contentedly in nature
- yī一qiū丘zhī之hé貉birds of a feather
- yī一sī丝yī一háo毫the slightest amount
- yī一sī丝bù不luàn乱perfectly orderly and neat
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Open the tool →Questions about 一板三眼
What does 一板三眼 mean?
一板三眼 (yī bǎn sān yǎn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “describing speech or actions that are methodical, orderly, and adhere strictly to rules or procedures; sometimes also used to describe someone who is rigid, inflexible, and lacks adaptability in their approach”.
How do you pronounce 一板三眼?
一板三眼 is pronounced yī bǎn sān yǎn in Mandarin Chinese.
Where does 一板三眼 come from?
一板三眼 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to the modern era. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 一板三眼?
板、眼：戏曲音乐的节拍。比喻言语、行动有条理或合规矩。有时也比喻做事死板，不懂得灵活掌握。