契船求剑 — “To be rigid and unadaptable”
契船求剑 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be rigid and unadaptable”. To stick to old ways and ignore changing circumstances; to apply old methods inflexibly to new situations. Literally, “Mark the boat to seek the sword”.
契船求剑 Pronunciation and Pinyin
契船求剑 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 契船求剑
Origin and Story of 契船求剑
During the Warring States period, a man from the state of Chu was crossing the Yangtze River by boat.
As the boat was in the middle of the river, he accidentally dropped the sword he was wearing into the water. Unable to retrieve it immediately, he made a mark on the side of the boat exactly where the sword had fallen.
After the boat docked, he jumped into the water at the spot where he had made the mark on the boat, trying to find his sword, but he found nothing.
Idioms Related to 契船求剑
Synonyms of 契船求剑
Antonyms of 契船求剑
More idioms starting with 契
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Open the tool →Questions about 契船求剑
What does 契船求剑 mean?
契船求剑 (qì chuán qiú jiàn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be rigid and unadaptable”.
How do you pronounce 契船求剑?
契船求剑 is pronounced qì chuán qiú jiàn in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 契船求剑 literally mean?
Literally, 契船求剑 means “Mark the boat to seek the sword”. It is used to mean “to be rigid and unadaptable”.
Where does 契船求剑 come from?
契船求剑 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 契船求剑?
比喻拘泥成法，不知变通。后多作“刻舟求剑”。