丙吉问牛 — “Bing Ji asks about the ox”
丙吉问牛 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to show deep and far-sighted concern for the welfare of the common people, often by noticing seemingly small details that could indicate larger issues, similar to an official who prioritized understanding potential widespread problems over immediate, superficial ones”. Literally, “Bing Ji asks about the ox”.
丙吉问牛 Pronunciation and Pinyin
丙吉问牛 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 丙吉问牛
Origin and Story of 丙吉问牛
During the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Western Han Dynasty, Prime Minister Bing Ji was deeply concerned about the hardships of the common people. He often went out to observe the public's conditions.
On one such outing, he saw a group of people fighting, but he did not stop them. Instead, he noticed an ox struggling to pull a cart. He stopped and asked his attendants to inquire about the ox.
His subordinates questioned why he prioritized an animal over people. Bing Ji explained that the ox's condition could affect farming, which directly impacts the national economy and people's livelihoods.
Recommended tools
Bingo Cards
Picture and word Bingo for your class
Open the tool →
Writing Worksheets
Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
Open the tool →
Chinese Text Image Generator
Create PNGs with pinyin, highlight character parts or remove strokes
Open the tool →
Picture Worksheets
Chinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets
Open the tool →Questions about 丙吉问牛
What does 丙吉问牛 mean?
丙吉问牛 (bǐng jí wèn niú) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to show deep and far-sighted concern for the welfare of the common people, often by noticing seemingly small details that could indicate larger issues, similar to an official who prioritized understanding potential widespread problems over immediate, superficial ones”.
How do you pronounce 丙吉问牛?
丙吉问牛 is pronounced bǐng jí wèn niú in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 丙吉问牛 literally mean?
Literally, 丙吉问牛 means “Bing Ji asks about the ox”. It is used to mean “to show deep and far-sighted concern for the welfare of the common people, often by noticing seemingly small details that could indicate larger issues, similar to an official who prioritized understanding potential widespread problems over immediate, superficial ones”.
Where does 丙吉问牛 come from?
丙吉问牛 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 丙吉问牛?
看到牛的异常想起天气变化，赞扬官员关心百姓疾苦