高下在心 — “To have the measure of things in mind”
高下在心 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to have a clear understanding of how to handle a situation, knowing what measures to take according to circumstances; to be confident and have a well-thought-out plan for dealing with things”. Literally, “To have the measure of things in mind”.
高下在心 Pronunciation and Pinyin
高下在心 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 高下在心
Origin and Story of 高下在心
In 594 BC, King Zhuang of Chu led his army to attack the State of Song. The State of Song sent Yue Yingqi to the State of Jin to ask for help. Duke Jing of Jin, disliking Chu's bullying tactics, prepared to send troops to rescue Song.
However, Grand Master Bo Zong believed that Jin was 'too far to reach' (鞭长莫及). He advised, 'As the proverb goes, 'having discretion in one's mind'. Rivers and swamps absorb filth, mountains and forests conceal diseases, precious jade may hide flaws, and a ruler should tolerate disgrace; these are the ways of heaven.'
Idioms Related to 高下在心
Synonyms of 高下在心
More idioms starting with 高
- gāo高xià下qí其shǒu手collude in wrongdoing
- gāo高xià下zài在kǒu口make arbitrary judgments
- gāo高xià下zài在shǒu手manipulate outcomes for illicit gains
- gāo高bù不còu凑dī低bù不jiù就too demanding, unable to find a match
- gāo高bù不còu凑，，dī低bù不jiù就unable to achieve high, unwilling to settle low
- gāo高bù不kě可pān攀too high to reach or approach
- gāo高bù不kě可dēng登too high to reach
- gāo高bù不chéng成dī低bù不jiù就too ambitious for low, not qualified for high
- gāo高bù不chéng成，，dī低bù不jiù就Too choosy for high, too proud for low
- gāo高bù不còu辏dī低bù不jiù就too picky to find anything suitable
- gāo高bù不còu辏，，dī低bù不jiù就unable to reach high, unwilling to stoop low
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Open the tool →Questions about 高下在心
What does 高下在心 mean?
高下在心 (gāo xià zài xīn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to have a clear understanding of how to handle a situation, knowing what measures to take according to circumstances; to be confident and have a well-thought-out plan for dealing with things”.
How do you pronounce 高下在心?
高下在心 is pronounced gāo xià zài xīn in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 高下在心 literally mean?
Literally, 高下在心 means “to have the measure of things in mind”. It is used to mean “to have a clear understanding of how to handle a situation, knowing what measures to take according to circumstances; to be confident and have a well-thought-out plan for dealing with things”.
Where does 高下在心 come from?
高下在心 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 高下在心?
高下：比喻伸和屈。原意是做事要斟酌情况，采取适当办法。后形容能胸有成竹地处理事情。