朽木不可雕 — “Rotten wood cannot be carved”
朽木不可雕 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to a person who is incorrigible, beyond redemption, or incapable of being educated or reformed; also describes a hopeless situation that cannot be remedied”. Literally, “Rotten wood cannot be carved”.
朽木不可雕 Pronunciation and Pinyin
朽木不可雕 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 朽木不可雕
Origin and Story of 朽木不可雕
The idiom "朽木不可雕" (rotten wood cannot be carved) originates from "The Analects of Confucius," in the chapter "Gongye Chang." Confucius had a disciple named Zai Yu, who was known for his eloquent and pleasant speech. Initially, Confucius held a high regard for this disciple, believing he had a promising future.
However, it wasn't long before Zai Yu's lazy habits became apparent. One day, while Confucius was teaching his disciples, he noticed Zai Yu was absent from the class. He sent another disciple to find him. Shortly after, the disciple returned, reporting that Zai Yu was asleep in his room.
Confucius was saddened by this news and remarked, "Rotten wood cannot be carved, and a wall of dirt cannot be whitewashed. Originally, when I listened to people's words, I trusted that their actions would align with what they said. But now, when I hear people speak, I must also observe their actions. From Zai Yu, I have changed my approach."
This idiom is now used to describe someone who is beyond help or reform, or a situation that is beyond remedy.
Idioms Related to 朽木不可雕
Synonyms of 朽木不可雕
More idioms starting with 朽
- xiǔ朽gē戈dùn钝jiǎ甲poorly equipped troops
- xiǔ朽mù木zhī之cái才a person of no talent or potential
- xiǔ朽mù木kū枯zhū株useless old person
- xiǔ朽mù木sǐ死huī灰utterly disheartened and lifeless
- xiǔ朽mù木shēng生huā花turn from decay to flourishing
- xiǔ朽mù木fèn粪tǔ土an incorrigible good-for-nothing
- xiǔ朽mù木fèn粪qiáng墙beyond salvage or improvement
- xiǔ朽mù木nán难diāo彫beyond redemption or improvement
- xiǔ朽mù木nán难diāo雕rotten wood cannot be carved
- xiǔ朽tiáo条fǔ腐suǒ索extremely fragile, weak, or unreliable
- xiǔ朽zhū株kū枯mù木old, decaying, and useless
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Open the tool →Questions about 朽木不可雕
What does 朽木不可雕 mean?
朽木不可雕 (xiǔ mù bù kě diāo) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to a person who is incorrigible, beyond redemption, or incapable of being educated or reformed; also describes a hopeless situation that cannot be remedied”.
How do you pronounce 朽木不可雕?
朽木不可雕 is pronounced xiǔ mù bù kě diāo in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 朽木不可雕 literally mean?
Literally, 朽木不可雕 means “Rotten wood cannot be carved”. It is used to mean “refers to a person who is incorrigible, beyond redemption, or incapable of being educated or reformed; also describes a hopeless situation that cannot be remedied”.
Where does 朽木不可雕 come from?
朽木不可雕 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 朽木不可雕?
腐烂的木头无法雕刻。比喻人不可造就或事物和局势败坏而不可救药。亦作“朽木难彫”。亦作“朽木不雕”。