牛蹄中鱼 — “Fish in an ox hoof print”
牛蹄中鱼 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be in an extremely precarious or desperate situation, facing imminent doom or on the verge of death; like a fish stranded in a drying ox hoof print”. Literally, “Fish in an ox hoof print”.
牛蹄中鱼 Pronunciation and Pinyin
牛蹄中鱼 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 牛蹄中鱼
Origin and Story of 牛蹄中鱼
During the Warring States period, Zhuang Zhou (Zhuangzi) from the State of Song lived in poverty. One day, he went to his friend Jianhe Hou to borrow some grain. Jianhe Hou, however, procrastinated, saying he would lend it only after he had collected his rent.
Zhuang Zhou then told his friend a story: "On my way here, I encountered a crucian carp trapped in a drying ox hoof print, crying for help. I promised the carp that I would go to the states of Wu and Yue to fetch water for it." The carp replied, "By the time you return from Wu and Yue, I will already be hanging dried in a fish market."
Idioms Related to 牛蹄中鱼
Synonyms of 牛蹄中鱼
More idioms starting with 牛
- niú牛bù不hē喝shuǐ水qiǎng强àn按tóu头You can't force an unwilling person
- niú牛bù不hē喝shuǐ水nán难àn按jiǎo角You can't force a person against their will
- niú牛bù不yǐn饮shuǐ水qiáng强àn按tóu头You can't force an ox to drink
- niú牛zhī之yī一máo毛a drop in the ocean
- niú牛nóng农duì对qì泣impoverished couple weeping together
- niú牛dāo刀gē割jī鸡overkill for a trivial task
- niú牛dāo刀xiǎo小shì试display significant talent in a minor task
- niú牛kǒu口zhī之xià下A humble or inferior position
- niú牛tīng听tán弹qín琴explain profound things to an uncomprehending person
- niú牛tóu头bù不duì对mǎ马zuǐ嘴irrelevant or incongruous
- niú牛tóu头bù不duì对mǎ马miàn面irrelevant answer or complete mismatch
- niú牛tóu头ā阿páng旁ox-headed demon guard of hell
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Open the tool →Questions about 牛蹄中鱼
What does 牛蹄中鱼 mean?
牛蹄中鱼 (niú tí zhōng yú) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be in an extremely precarious or desperate situation, facing imminent doom or on the verge of death; like a fish stranded in a drying ox hoof print”.
How do you pronounce 牛蹄中鱼?
牛蹄中鱼 is pronounced niú tí zhōng yú in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 牛蹄中鱼 literally mean?
Literally, 牛蹄中鱼 means “Fish in an ox hoof print”. It is used to mean “to be in an extremely precarious or desperate situation, facing imminent doom or on the verge of death; like a fish stranded in a drying ox hoof print”.
Where does 牛蹄中鱼 come from?
牛蹄中鱼 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 牛蹄中鱼?
牛蹄：是指牛蹄印里的积水。牛蹄印坑里的鱼。比喻死期迫近。