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Open the tool →直木先伐 (zhí mù xiān fá) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Outstanding talent or ability often makes one a target for jealousy or persecution”.
直木先伐 is pronounced zhí mù xiān fá in Mandarin Chinese.
Literally, 直木先伐 means “the straightest wood is felled first”. It is used to mean “Outstanding talent or ability often makes one a target for jealousy or persecution”.
直:挺直。挺直成材的树木,最先被砍伐。比喻有才能的人会遭到迫害。亦作“直木必伐”。