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博弈犹贤
博弈犹贤
博弈犹贤
博弈犹贤
博弈犹贤
博弈犹贤
博弈犹贤

博弈犹贤 — “Playing games is still better”

博弈犹贤 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “it is better to engage in some activity, even a seemingly simple one like playing a board game, than to be completely idle and do nothing all day; used to admonish against idleness and encourage purposeful engagement”. Literally, “Playing games is still better”.

Frequency

博弈犹贤 Pronunciation and Pinyin

博弈犹贤 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order
CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
博
bó12extensive profound knowledge
弈
yì9play Go
犹
yóu7still, yet, or like
贤
xián8virtuous and talented person

Example Sentence with 博弈犹贤

爷爷退休后,每天都坚持练习书法或下棋,他说“博弈犹贤”,不能让日子过得无趣
After Grandpa retired, he insisted on practicing calligraphy or playing chess every day, saying that "even playing games is better than being idle," and that he couldn't let his days be boring.

Origin and Story of 博弈犹贤

During the Spring and Autumn period, Confucius often instructed his students, encouraging them to emulate Yan Hui by focusing on their studies rather than pursuing wealth and luxury.

Confucius once said, "If a person eats their fill all day without anything to do, and fails to engage their mind in thought, they will achieve nothing."

He then added, "Even those who play board games, though their activity may seem leisurely, still apply their minds. They are far superior to those who merely eat their fill and remain idle throughout the day."

This sentiment gave rise to the idiom "博弈犹贤" (bó yì yóu xián), meaning "even playing games is better than being idle."

Idioms Related to 博弈犹贤

Antonyms of 博弈犹贤

  • bǎo饱shí食zhōng终rì日eat all day and do no serious work

More idioms starting with 博

  • bó博gǔ古zhī知jīn今know ancient and modern extensively
  • bó博gǔ古tōng通jīn今knowledgeable about past and present
  • bó博shì士mǎi买lǘ驴overly verbose and circuitous writing
  • bó博dà大jīng精shēn深vast, broad, and profound
  • bó博xué学duō多cái才learned and versatile
  • bó博xué学duō多shí识knowledgeable and experienced
  • bó博xué学duō多wén闻widely learned and well-informed
  • bó博xué学hóng宏cái才erudite and highly capable
  • bó博xué学shěn审wèn问study extensively and inquire thoroughly
  • bó博xué学qià洽wén闻broad learning and wide acquaintance
  • bó博xué学dǔ笃zhì志broadly learned and earnestly committed
  • bó博dài带bāo褒yī衣wide robes and sashes

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Questions about 博弈犹贤

What does 博弈犹贤 mean?

博弈犹贤 (bó yì yóu xián) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “it is better to engage in some activity, even a seemingly simple one like playing a board game, than to be completely idle and do nothing all day; used to admonish against idleness and encourage purposeful engagement”.

How do you pronounce 博弈犹贤?

博弈犹贤 is pronounced bó yì yóu xián in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 博弈犹贤 literally mean?

Literally, 博弈犹贤 means “Playing games is still better”. It is used to mean “it is better to engage in some activity, even a seemingly simple one like playing a board game, than to be completely idle and do nothing all day; used to admonish against idleness and encourage purposeful engagement”.

Where does 博弈犹贤 come from?

博弈犹贤 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 博弈犹贤?

后指不要饱食终日无所事事。

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