弄獐宰相 — Chinese Idiom
弄獐宰相 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to an ignorant and incompetent person who has attained a high position, often through improper means, and who tries to feign learning but makes obvious blunders”.
弄獐宰相 Pronunciation and Pinyin
弄獐宰相 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 弄獐宰相
Origin and Story of 弄獐宰相
During the Tang Dynasty, Li Linfu, a young man from the imperial family, was adept at schemes and manipulation. He colluded with Prime Minister Li Shizhi to climb the ranks.
After gaining the trust of Emperor Xuanzong, he caused Li Shizhi to be estranged from the emperor, eventually becoming the prime minister himself.
Li Linfu enjoyed showing off his literary skills. When his brother-in-law, Jiang Du, had a son, Li Linfu sent a congratulatory message, intending to write "弄璋之喜" (nòng zhāng zhī xǐ), which means "joy of getting a son." However, due to his lack of true learning, he mistakenly wrote "弄獐之喜" (nòng zhāng zhī xǐ), which literally means "joy of getting a deer."
This incident exposed his ignorance and incompetence despite his high official position, leading to the idiom "弄獐宰相".
Idioms Related to 弄獐宰相
More idioms starting with 弄
- nòng弄jiǎ假chéng成zhēn真make a feigned action become real
- nòng弄bīng兵huáng潢chí池Raise a minor, insignificant rebellion
- nòng弄kǒu口míng鸣shé舌quibble and incite trouble
- nòng弄xuān喧dǎo捣guǐ鬼play tricks and engage in underhand schemes
- nòng弄zuǐ嘴nòng弄shé舌gossip and stir up trouble
- nòng弄qiǎo巧fǎn反zhuō拙try to be clever but end up foolish
- nòng弄qiǎo巧chéng呈guāi乖play petty tricks
- nòng弄qiǎo巧chéng成zhuō拙to try to be clever, but make things worse
- nòng弄yǐng影tuán团fēng风restless and disoriented
- nòng弄xìng性shàng尚qì气act impulsively, prone to losing temper
- nòng弄wén文qīng轻wǔ武prioritize intellect over martial arts
- nòng弄jīn斤cāo操fǔ斧meticulously refine or over-embellish a work
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Open the tool →Questions about 弄獐宰相
What does 弄獐宰相 mean?
弄獐宰相 (nòng zhāng zǎi xiàng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to an ignorant and incompetent person who has attained a high position, often through improper means, and who tries to feign learning but makes obvious blunders”.
How do you pronounce 弄獐宰相?
弄獐宰相 is pronounced nòng zhāng zǎi xiàng in Mandarin Chinese.
Where does 弄獐宰相 come from?
弄獐宰相 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to modern Chinese. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 弄獐宰相?
把“弄璋”写成“弄獐”的宰相。比喻不学无术钻营权势的人