明珠弹雀 — “To shoot a sparrow with a bright pearl”
明珠弹雀 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to use something extremely valuable for a trivial or insignificant purpose, resulting in a loss far greater than any potential gain; to make a disproportionate sacrifice for a meager return”. Literally, “To shoot a sparrow with a bright pearl”.
明珠弹雀 Pronunciation and Pinyin
明珠弹雀 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 明珠弹雀
Origin and Story of 明珠弹雀
Duke Ai of Lu heard that Yan He was a very wise and virtuous man, so he sent envoys with gifts to invite him to serve in his court. However, the impoverished Yan He refused the offerings.
Zhuangzi, reflecting on this incident, remarked that Yan He had no desire for wealth and status; when riches were presented to him, he did not welcome them, highlighting how rare such a person was.
Zhuangzi then commented that those who would even sacrifice their lives in pursuit of wealth and status are acting like someone who 'shoots a sparrow from a great height with the Pearl of Sui Hou,' deeming it an utterly unworthy endeavor, much like using a priceless gem for a trivial purpose.
Idioms Related to 明珠弹雀
Synonyms of 明珠弹雀
More idioms starting with 明
- míng明zhēng争àn暗dòu斗open contention and covert struggle
- míng明yú于zhì治luàn乱understand principles of order and disorder
- míng明rén人bù不zuò作àn暗shì事An upright person acts openly
- míng明rén人bù不zuò做àn暗shì事An honest person acts openly
- míng明rén人bù不shuō说àn暗huà话A frank person speaks directly
- míng明xiū修àn暗dù度openly feign, secretly act
- míng明xiū修zhàn栈dào道，，àn暗dù度chén陈cāng仓feint in one direction, advance in another
- míng明xiū修zhàn栈dào道，，àn暗dù渡chén陈cāng仓feign one thing, do another
- míng明guāng光shuò烁liàng亮Dazzlingly bright and sparkling
- míng明guāng光zhēng铮liàng亮Dazzlingly bright and gleaming
- míng明guāng光zèng锃liàng亮dazzlingly bright and polished
- míng明gōng公zhèng正yì义Open, fair, and just
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Open the tool →Questions about 明珠弹雀
What does 明珠弹雀 mean?
明珠弹雀 (míng zhū tán què) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to use something extremely valuable for a trivial or insignificant purpose, resulting in a loss far greater than any potential gain; to make a disproportionate sacrifice for a meager return”.
How do you pronounce 明珠弹雀?
明珠弹雀 is pronounced míng zhū tán què in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 明珠弹雀 literally mean?
Literally, 明珠弹雀 means “to shoot a sparrow with a bright pearl”. It is used to mean “to use something extremely valuable for a trivial or insignificant purpose, resulting in a loss far greater than any potential gain; to make a disproportionate sacrifice for a meager return”.
Where does 明珠弹雀 come from?
明珠弹雀 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 明珠弹雀?
用珍珠打鸟雀。比喻得到的补偿不了失去的。