黄雀伺蝉 — “Yellow oriole stalks cicada”
黄雀伺蝉 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be so engrossed in pursuing an immediate objective or dealing with a smaller threat that one is completely oblivious to a greater danger lurking behind; a metaphor for lacking foresight and being unaware of imminent peril”. Literally, “Yellow oriole stalks cicada”.
黄雀伺蝉 Pronunciation and Pinyin
黄雀伺蝉 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 黄雀伺蝉
Origin and Story of 黄雀伺蝉
During the Spring and Autumn period, King Shoumeng of the State of Wu planned to attack the State of Chu. He strictly forbade his ministers from expressing any dissenting opinions.
A minister's son, upon hearing this, took his slingshot to the royal garden to hunt birds.
When King Shoumeng asked him what he was doing, the son replied that he was watching a mantis trying to catch a cicada on a tree, while a yellow oriole was waiting right behind the mantis, ready to eat it.
Realizing that his own situation was dangerously similar to that of the mantis, being focused on one target while a greater threat was poised to strike from behind, King Shoumeng wisely canceled his plan to attack Chu.
Idioms Related to 黄雀伺蝉
More idioms starting with 黄
- huáng黄yún云bái白cǎo草desolate frontier landscape
- huáng黄rén人shǒu守rì日a period of great prosperity and stability
- huáng黄rén人pěng捧rì日excellent order and robust prosperity
- huáng黄gōng公hǎo好qiān谦excessively modest or feigning humility
- huáng黄gōng公jiǔ酒lú垆mourn departed friends or bygone days
- huáng黄guàn冠cǎo草lǚ履simple rustic attire
- huáng黄guàn冠cǎo草fú服simple, humble clothing of common people
- huáng黄guàn冠yě野fú服simple rustic attire
- huáng黄juàn卷yòu幼fù妇a cryptic reference for splendid
- huáng黄juàn卷qīng青dēng灯solitary diligent study late into night
- huáng黄fà发ér儿chǐ齿live a long and healthy life
- huáng黄fā发tái台bèi背elderly people with signs of old age
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Open the tool →Questions about 黄雀伺蝉
What does 黄雀伺蝉 mean?
黄雀伺蝉 (huáng què sì chán) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be so engrossed in pursuing an immediate objective or dealing with a smaller threat that one is completely oblivious to a greater danger lurking behind; a metaphor for lacking foresight and being unaware of imminent peril”.
How do you pronounce 黄雀伺蝉?
黄雀伺蝉 is pronounced huáng què sì chán in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 黄雀伺蝉 literally mean?
Literally, 黄雀伺蝉 means “Yellow oriole stalks cicada”. It is used to mean “to be so engrossed in pursuing an immediate objective or dealing with a smaller threat that one is completely oblivious to a greater danger lurking behind; a metaphor for lacking foresight and being unaware of imminent peril”.
Where does 黄雀伺蝉 come from?
黄雀伺蝉 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 黄雀伺蝉?
螳螂正要捉蝉，不知黄雀在它后面正要吃它。比喻祸事临头还不知道。