臧穀亡羊 — “Zang and Gu lost their sheep”
臧穀亡羊 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to situations where different actions, methods, or reasons, though seemingly unrelated, ultimately lead to the same undesirable outcome; different causes, same negative result”. Literally, “Zang and Gu lost their sheep”.
臧穀亡羊 Pronunciation and Pinyin
臧穀亡羊 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 臧穀亡羊
Origin and Story of 臧穀亡羊
In ancient times, a man surnamed Zang and another surnamed Gu went together to herd sheep. Both of them lost their sheep.
When asked why he lost his sheep, Zang said he was reading books.
When asked why he lost his sheep, Gu said he was gambling and playing games.
Both lost their sheep, yet the activities they were engaged in were entirely different.
Idioms Related to 臧穀亡羊
Synonyms of 臧穀亡羊
More idioms starting with 臧
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Open the tool →Questions about 臧穀亡羊
What does 臧穀亡羊 mean?
臧穀亡羊 (zāng gǔ wáng yáng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to situations where different actions, methods, or reasons, though seemingly unrelated, ultimately lead to the same undesirable outcome; different causes, same negative result”.
How do you pronounce 臧穀亡羊?
臧穀亡羊 is pronounced zāng gǔ wáng yáng in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 臧穀亡羊 literally mean?
Literally, 臧穀亡羊 means “Zang and Gu lost their sheep”. It is used to mean “refers to situations where different actions, methods, or reasons, though seemingly unrelated, ultimately lead to the same undesirable outcome; different causes, same negative result”.
Where does 臧穀亡羊 come from?
臧穀亡羊 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 臧穀亡羊?
《庄子·骈拇》载，臧、穀二人牧羊，臧挟策读书，穀博塞以游，皆亡其羊。后因以为典，喻事不同而实则一。