节外生枝 — “To create new complications”
节外生枝 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to create new complications”. To cause unexpected trouble; to branch off into side issues; to deliberately complicate matters. Literally, “Branches grow outside the knots”.
节外生枝 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 节jié
- 外wài
- 生shēng
- 枝zhī
节外生枝 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 节外生枝
Origin and Story of 节外生枝
The idiom "Jiewai Shengzhi" (节外生枝) originates from the Southern Song Dynasty scholar Zhu Xi, a prominent Neo-Confucian who spent most of his life lecturing and writing. Zhu Xi believed that when reading, one should focus on the ideological content and logical reasoning of a text, rather than getting sidetracked by other issues.
However, Lu Zuyue, the younger brother of Lu Ziqian, held a different view. Zhu Xi argued that one should not be overly cautious or create unnecessary trouble while studying, to avoid "Jiewai Shengzhi" – creating new complications or branching off into side issues.
Idioms Related to 节外生枝
Synonyms of 节外生枝
Antonyms of 节外生枝
More idioms starting with 节
- jié节zhōng中cháng长jié节new complications arising from existing issues
- jié节jiǎn俭lì力xíng行live frugally and act diligently
- jié节jiǎn俭gōng躬xíng行practice frugality personally and lead by example
- jié节biàn变suì岁yí移Seasons change, years pass
- jié节āi哀shùn顺biàn变temper sorrow, accept change
- jié节wēi威fǎn反wén文curb power, return to civility
- jié节yòng用hòu厚shēng生economize expenses and enrich people's livelihoods
- jié节yòng用ài爱ren人economize expenses and care for people
- jié节yòng用ài爱mín民economize and care for people
- jié节yòng用yù裕mín民economize to enrich the people
- jié节jié节bài败tuì退suffer successive defeats
Questions about 节外生枝
- What does 节外生枝 mean?
- 节外生枝 (jié wài shēng zhī) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to create new complications”.
- How do you pronounce 节外生枝?
- 节外生枝 is pronounced jié wài shēng zhī in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 节外生枝 literally mean?
- Literally, 节外生枝 means “Branches grow outside the knots”. It is used to mean “to create new complications”.
- Where does 节外生枝 come from?
- 节外生枝 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 节外生枝?
- 本不应该生枝的地方生枝。比喻在原有问题之外又岔出了新问题。多指故意设置障碍，使问题不能顺利解决。