煮豆燃萁 — “Boil beans using beanstalks as fuel”
煮豆燃萁 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Internal strife or conflict, especially among close relatives or siblings; internecine fighting within a family or group”. Literally, “Boil beans using beanstalks as fuel”.
煮豆燃萁 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 煮zhǔ
- 豆dòu
- 燃rán
- 萁qí
煮豆燃萁 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 煮豆燃萁
Origin and Story of 煮豆燃萁
Cao Zhi was the youngest son of Cao Cao, extraordinarily talented from a young age and deeply loved by his father.
After Cao Cao's death, his elder brother Cao Pi ascended to the throne of the Wei kingdom. Cao Pi was extremely jealous and worried that his brother would threaten his position, so he sought to eliminate him.
One day, Cao Pi summoned Cao Zhi and ordered him to compose a poem within seven steps, as a test of his poetic genius. If he failed, it would be seen as deceiving the emperor, and he would face execution.
Cao Zhi, knowing his brother's intention to harm him, felt both sorrow and rage. He suppressed his profound grief and thought diligently. Indeed, within seven steps, he composed and recited the following poem: "Beans are boiled to make a soup; filtered pulp yields the juice. The beanstalks burn beneath the pot; the beans weep within the pot. We are born from the same root, why are you so eager to torment each other?"
Idioms Related to 煮豆燃萁
Synonyms of 煮豆燃萁
Antonyms of 煮豆燃萁
Questions about 煮豆燃萁
- What does 煮豆燃萁 mean?
- 煮豆燃萁 (zhǔ dòu rán qí) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Internal strife or conflict, especially among close relatives or siblings; internecine fighting within a family or group”.
- How do you pronounce 煮豆燃萁?
- 煮豆燃萁 is pronounced zhǔ dòu rán qí in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 煮豆燃萁 literally mean?
- Literally, 煮豆燃萁 means “Boil beans using beanstalks as fuel”. It is used to mean “Internal strife or conflict, especially among close relatives or siblings; internecine fighting within a family or group”.
- Where does 煮豆燃萁 come from?
- 煮豆燃萁 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 煮豆燃萁?
- 燃：烧；萁：豆茎。用豆萁作燃料煮豆子。比喻兄弟间自相残杀。