太公钓鱼，愿者上钩 — “To set a lure or trap and wait for people to willingly fall for it”
太公钓鱼，愿者上钩 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to set a lure or trap and wait for people to willingly fall for it”. Often implying that the person who falls for it is eager or naive, or that a situation is arranged for specific individuals to come forward by their own accord. Literally, “Grand Duke fishing, those who wish to be hooked will be hooked”.
太公钓鱼，愿者上钩 Pronunciation and Pinyin
太公钓鱼，愿者上钩 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 太公钓鱼，愿者上钩
Origin and Story of 太公钓鱼，愿者上钩
Towards the end of the Shang Dynasty, Jiang Ziya, also known as Tai Gong, lived in seclusion by the Wei River. He would fish by the river using a straight fishhook without any bait, and the hook would even be three feet above the water surface.
Some people laughed, saying he wouldn't catch a single fish in a hundred years. However, he would mutter, 'May the fish that don't want to live hook themselves.'
As a result, King Wen of Zhou heard about him and personally invited him to assist in governing the kingdom and eventually overthrowing the Shang Dynasty.
Idioms Related to 太公钓鱼，愿者上钩
Synonyms of 太公钓鱼，愿者上钩
More idioms starting with 太
- tài太shàng上wàng忘qíng情Supreme serenity, transcending emotions
- tài太shàng上huáng皇influential figure pulling strings remotely
- tài太qiū丘dào道guǎng广have extensive social connections
- tài太cāng仓yī一sù粟a drop in the ocean
- tài太cāng仓tí稊mǐ米a drop in the ocean
- tài太shān山běi北dòu斗a widely admired leading figure
- tài太suì岁tóu头shàng上dòng动tǔ土provoke a formidable person
- tài太píng平wú无shì事peaceful and quiet
- tài太píng平wú无xiàng象false peace has no fixed signs
- tài太píng平shèng盛shì世a golden age of peace and prosperity
- tài太ē阿zhī之bǐng柄ultimate power and control
- tài太ē阿dào倒chí持give power to others, suffer harm
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Open the tool →Questions about 太公钓鱼，愿者上钩
What does 太公钓鱼，愿者上钩 mean?
太公钓鱼，愿者上钩 (tài gōng diào yú ， yuàn zhě shàng gōu) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to set a lure or trap and wait for people to willingly fall for it”.
How do you pronounce 太公钓鱼，愿者上钩?
太公钓鱼，愿者上钩 is pronounced tài gōng diào yú ， yuàn zhě shàng gōu in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 太公钓鱼，愿者上钩 literally mean?
Literally, 太公钓鱼，愿者上钩 means “Grand Duke fishing, those who wish to be hooked will be hooked”. It is used to mean “to set a lure or trap and wait for people to willingly fall for it”.
Where does 太公钓鱼，愿者上钩 come from?
太公钓鱼，愿者上钩 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 太公钓鱼，愿者上钩?
太公：指周初的吕尚，即姜子牙。比喻心甘情愿地上当。