以卵击石 — “To strike a stone with an egg”
以卵击石 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to attempt the impossible or to challenge an overwhelmingly powerful opponent with inadequate strength, often resulting in certain failure; to be on a fool's errand”. Literally, “To strike a stone with an egg”.
以卵击石 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 以yǐ
- 卵luǎn
- 击jī
- 石shí
以卵击石 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 以卵击石
Origin and Story of 以卵击石
The idiom 'Yi Luan Ji Shi' (to strike a stone with an egg) originates from the ancient text 'Mozi: Honoring Righteousness'. One year, Mozi, the renowned philosopher, was traveling north to the State of Qi. On his journey, he encountered a man named Yue, who warned him, "You must not go north! Today, the Heavenly Emperor is slaying a black dragon in the north, and since your skin is dark, proceeding northward would be inauspicious for you!" Mozi, however, dismissed his words, saying, "I do not believe what you say!" and continued his journey north.
Not long after, Mozi returned because the Zi River had flooded, making it impossible to cross. The man, Yue, saw Mozi and triumphantly exclaimed, "What do you say now? Didn't I tell you not to go north? You've run into trouble, haven't you?"
Mozi smiled faintly and responded, "The Zi River has flooded, blocking travelers from both the north and the south. Among them are people with dark skin and people with light skin, yet none can cross. How do you explain that?" Yue stammered, unable to provide an answer.
Mozi continued, "If the Heavenly Emperor were to slay a green dragon in the east, a red dragon in the south, a white dragon in the west, and then a yellow dragon in the center, wouldn't everyone in the world be paralyzed and unable to move? Therefore, your lies cannot withstand the truth of my reasoning. It is like striking a stone with an egg; even if all the eggs under heaven were used, the stone would remain undamaged." Hearing this, Yue walked away in shame.
Idioms Related to 以卵击石
Synonyms of 以卵击石
More idioms starting with 以
- yǐ以yī一jǐng儆bǎi百punish one to warn many
- yǐ以yī一fèng奉bǎi百one producer supports a hundred consumers
- yǐ以yī一dāng当shí十fight with the strength of ten men
- yǐ以yī一dāng当bǎi百one person effective as a hundred
- yǐ以yī一chí持wàn万Grasp key to control the whole
- yǐ以yī一zhī知wàn万infer many from one
- yǐ以yī一jǐng警bǎi百punish one to warn many
- yǐ以yī一yù驭wàn万Control many by grasping the fundamental
- yǐ以bù不biàn变yìng应wàn万biàn变respond to change with no change
- yǐ以fǒu不jì济kě可help succeed by negating incorrect ideas
- yǐ以fēng丰bǔ补qiàn歉save in times of plenty for scarcity
- yǐ以wéi为kǒu口shí实provide material for criticism
Questions about 以卵击石
- What does 以卵击石 mean?
- 以卵击石 (yǐ luǎn jī shí) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to attempt the impossible or to challenge an overwhelmingly powerful opponent with inadequate strength, often resulting in certain failure; to be on a fool's errand”.
- How do you pronounce 以卵击石?
- 以卵击石 is pronounced yǐ luǎn jī shí in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 以卵击石 literally mean?
- Literally, 以卵击石 means “to strike a stone with an egg”. It is used to mean “to attempt the impossible or to challenge an overwhelmingly powerful opponent with inadequate strength, often resulting in certain failure; to be on a fool's errand”.
- Where does 以卵击石 come from?
- 以卵击石 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to the modern era. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 以卵击石?
- 拿蛋去碰石头。比喻不估计自己的力量，自取灭亡。