







陈蔡之厄 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be stranded and suffer severe hardships during a journey”. Often due to lack of food or difficult circumstances. Literally, “The ordeal in Chen and Cai; The calamity of Chen and Cai”.
During the Spring and Autumn period, the great philosopher Confucius, aiming to promote his benevolent governance and Confucian ideas, traveled with dozens of his disciples across various states.
After being coldly received in the State of Chu, he went to lobby in the States of Chen and Cai.
As they traveled through the wilderness between Chen and Cai, his companions fell ill and they became stranded there. The disciples sat around Confucius, having no food.
Despite the severe hardship, they eventually persisted and continued their journey.

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Open the tool →陈蔡之厄 (chén cài zhī è) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be stranded and suffer severe hardships during a journey”.
陈蔡之厄 is pronounced chén cài zhī è in Mandarin Chinese.
Literally, 陈蔡之厄 means “the ordeal in Chen and Cai; The calamity of Chen and Cai”. It is used to mean “to be stranded and suffer severe hardships during a journey”.
陈蔡之厄 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
陈蔡:春秋时期的陈国和蔡国;厄:灾难。形容旅途中被生活所困