怨天尤人 — “Resent Heaven, blame others”
怨天尤人 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to complain about one's fate or circumstances and blame others for one's misfortunes or failures; to be full of grievances against Heaven and mankind”. Literally, “Resent Heaven, blame others”.
怨天尤人 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 怨yuàn
- 天tiān
- 尤yóu
- 人rén
怨天尤人 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 怨天尤人
Origin and Story of 怨天尤人
During the Spring and Autumn period, Confucius dedicated his entire life to propagating his philosophical and political ideas. Despite his tireless travels and efforts, few rulers or states adopted his principles.
One day, feeling a deep sense of understanding yet also profound isolation, Confucius sighed in front of his disciples. Zigong, one of his most prominent students, asked him why he appeared so contemplative.
Confucius replied, "I do not complain about Heaven, nor do I blame others. I study things that are below, yet I comprehend principles that are above. Perhaps only Heaven truly understands me."
This story, while not directly showing someone "怨天尤人," highlights Confucius's admirable character by showing his refusal to blame external forces or people for his lack of political success, thus providing a strong contrast to the idiom's meaning.
Idioms Related to 怨天尤人
Synonyms of 怨天尤人
Antonyms of 怨天尤人
More idioms starting with 怨
- yuàn怨rù入gǔ骨suǐ髓deep-seated resentment
- yuàn怨shēng声mǎn满dào道widespread complaints and grievances
- yuàn怨shēng声yíng盈lù路widespread public outcry
- yuàn怨shēng声zài载lù路widespread complaints and grievances
- yuàn怨shēng声zài载dào道widespread public discontent
- yuàn怨tiān天yuàn怨dì地complain about everything
- yuàn怨nǚ女kuàng旷fū夫unmarried adults longing for a partner
- yuàn怨jiā家zhài债zhǔ主karmic adversary or creditor
- yuàn怨fǔ府huò祸tī梯Resentment breeds disaster
- yuàn怨kuàng旷sī思guī归resent prolonged separation, yearn to return home
- yuàn怨qì气chōng冲tiān天seething with resentment
Questions about 怨天尤人
- What does 怨天尤人 mean?
- 怨天尤人 (yuàn tiān yóu rén) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to complain about one's fate or circumstances and blame others for one's misfortunes or failures; to be full of grievances against Heaven and mankind”.
- How do you pronounce 怨天尤人?
- 怨天尤人 is pronounced yuàn tiān yóu rén in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 怨天尤人 literally mean?
- Literally, 怨天尤人 means “Resent Heaven, blame others”. It is used to mean “to complain about one's fate or circumstances and blame others for one's misfortunes or failures; to be full of grievances against Heaven and mankind”.
- Where does 怨天尤人 come from?
- 怨天尤人 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 怨天尤人?
- 天：天命，命运；尤：怨恨，归咎。指遇到挫折或出了问题，一味报怨天，责怪别人。