枯鱼涸辙 — “To be in a desperate or dire situation”
枯鱼涸辙 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be in a desperate or dire situation”. To be in extreme difficulties with no immediate solution, like a fish dying in a dried-up rut. Literally, “Dried fish in a dry rut”.
枯鱼涸辙 Pronunciation and Pinyin
枯鱼涸辙 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 枯鱼涸辙
Origin and Story of 枯鱼涸辙
During the Warring States period, the philosopher Zhuangzi (Zhuang Zhou) used fables in his work 'Zhuangzi'. In the chapter 'Outer Things', he told a story:
While Zhuangzi was traveling, he heard a voice calling to him. He discovered a gudgeon fish in a dried-up carriage rut, on the verge of dying from lack of water. The fish begged for help.
Zhuangzi offered to fetch a cup of water to save it. The fish replied, 'I am a minister from the East Sea. How can a mere cup of water save me? What I need is the water from the sea to live.'
Idioms Related to 枯鱼涸辙
Synonyms of 枯鱼涸辙
More idioms starting with 枯
- kū枯tǐ体huī灰xīn心utterly dejected and disheartened
- kū枯xíng形huī灰xīn心utterly dejected and disheartened
- kū枯mù木zài再shēng生to revive like a withered tree
- kū枯mù木fā发róng荣withered tree regains vitality
- kū枯mù木xiǔ朽zhū株useless old person or decaying force
- kū枯mù木sǐ死huī灰utterly apathetic or despondent
- kū枯mù木shēng生huā花revive from a hopeless state
- kū枯mù木féng逢chūn春to revive after decline
- kū枯běn本jié竭yuán源damage the foundation or basis
- kū枯xiǔ朽zhī之yú余one's remaining withered and decayed years
- kū枯yáng杨zhī之tí稊old man marries young wife
- kū枯yáng杨shēng生huá华old woman's brief good fortune
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Open the tool →Questions about 枯鱼涸辙
What does 枯鱼涸辙 mean?
枯鱼涸辙 (kū yú hé zhé) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be in a desperate or dire situation”.
How do you pronounce 枯鱼涸辙?
枯鱼涸辙 is pronounced kū yú hé zhé in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 枯鱼涸辙 literally mean?
Literally, 枯鱼涸辙 means “Dried fish in a dry rut”. It is used to mean “to be in a desperate or dire situation”.
Where does 枯鱼涸辙 come from?
枯鱼涸辙 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 枯鱼涸辙?
枯鱼：干鱼；涸辙：干的车辙沟。比喻陷入困境。