How do you pronounce 自不量力?

自不量力 is pronounced zì bù liàng lì in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 自不量力 literally mean?

Literally, 自不量力 means “not measure one's own strength”. It is used to mean “to overestimate one's own abilities or strength”.

Where does 自不量力 come from?

自不量力 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 自不量力?

量：估量。自己不估量自己的能力。指过高地估计自己的力量。

自不量力 — “To overestimate one's own abilities or strength”

自不量力 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to overestimate one's own abilities or strength”. To not know one's place or recognize one's limitations. Literally, “Not measure one's own strength”.

Frequency

自不量力 Pronunciation and Pinyin

自zì
不bù
量liàng
力lì

自不量力 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
自	zì	6	from, self, naturally
不	bù	4	not
量	liàng	12	measure, quantity, capacity
力	lì	2	physical strength or power

Example Sentence with 自不量力

他竟然挑战全国冠军，这简直是自不量力，结果当然是惨败。

He dared to challenge the national champion; that was clearly overestimating his own abilities, and of course, he suffered a crushing defeat.

Origin and Story of 自不量力

During the Spring and Autumn period, the relatively weak state of Xi initiated a war against the state of Zheng, only to suffer a defeat.

Analysts at the time believed that Xi, by overestimating its own strength, was heading for annihilation. Their reasoning was that Xi failed to consider its own moral standing, incorrectly assessed the power balance between itself and its adversaries, could not distinguish friends from foes, and neglected to foster alliances with neighboring states.

As predicted, it wasn't long before the state of Xi was conquered and annexed by the powerful state of Chu.

Idioms Related to 自不量力

Synonyms of 自不量力

Antonyms of 自不量力

More idioms starting with 自

Questions about 自不量力

What does 自不量力 mean?: 自不量力 (zì bù liàng lì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to overestimate one's own abilities or strength”.
How do you pronounce 自不量力?: 自不量力 is pronounced zì bù liàng lì in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 自不量力 literally mean?: Literally, 自不量力 means “not measure one's own strength”. It is used to mean “to overestimate one's own abilities or strength”.
Where does 自不量力 come from?: 自不量力 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 自不量力?: 量：估量。自己不估量自己的能力。指过高地估计自己的力量。

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