How do you pronounce 立锥之地?

立锥之地 is pronounced lì zhuī zhī dì in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 立锥之地 literally mean?

Literally, 立锥之地 means “Land for an awl to stand on”. It is used to mean “a place barely large enough for an awl to stand”.

Where does 立锥之地 come from?

立锥之地 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 立锥之地?

插锥尖的一点地方。形容极小的一块地方。也指极小的安身之处。

立锥之地 — “A place barely large enough for an awl to stand”

立锥之地 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a place barely large enough for an awl to stand”. An extremely tiny bit of land; a very limited space for settlement or survival. Literally, “Land for an awl to stand on”.

Frequency

立锥之地 Pronunciation and Pinyin

立lì
锥zhuī
之zhī
地dì

立锥之地 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
立	lì	5	stand, establish, immediately
锥	zhuī	13	awl or cone-shaped tool
之	zhī	4	possessive or connective particle
地	dì	6	earth, ground, land, place

Example Sentence with 立锥之地

在这个繁华的城市里，想要找到一处属于自己的立锥之地，简直是难上加难。

In this bustling city, it's incredibly difficult to find even a tiny spot to call one's own or a limited space to settle down.

Origin and Story of 立锥之地

During the contention between the Chu and Han states, Liu Bang was defeated by Xiang Yu and sought advice from his strategist, Li Shiqi. Li Shiqi suggested that Liu Bang should grant fiefdoms to the descendants of the six former states who had no place to settle (meaning, literally, 'no land for an awl to stand on'), believing that winning the people's hearts through this act would enable him to defeat Xiang Yu.

However, Zhang Liang strongly opposed this idea. He argued that Liu Bang had not yet secured the entire realm, and if he were to enfeoff them, these descendants would each establish their own independent rule, and no one would then help Liu Bang fight for control of the land.

Idioms Related to 立锥之地

Synonyms of 立锥之地

lì立zú足zhī之dì地a place to establish oneself

Antonyms of 立锥之地

More idioms starting with 立

Questions about 立锥之地

What does 立锥之地 mean?: 立锥之地 (lì zhuī zhī dì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a place barely large enough for an awl to stand”.
How do you pronounce 立锥之地?: 立锥之地 is pronounced lì zhuī zhī dì in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 立锥之地 literally mean?: Literally, 立锥之地 means “Land for an awl to stand on”. It is used to mean “a place barely large enough for an awl to stand”.
Where does 立锥之地 come from?: 立锥之地 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 立锥之地?: 插锥尖的一点地方。形容极小的一块地方。也指极小的安身之处。

Copy the pinyin for 立锥之地 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.