








越俎代庖 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to exceed one's authority and meddle in others' affairs”. To take over someone else's job that is not one's responsibility. Literally, “Step over the sacrificial vessel and replace the cook”.
In the legendary history of the Chinese nation, there was an outstanding leader named Tang Yao. Under his leadership, the people lived in peace and prosperity. However, Tang Yao was very humble. When he heard that the recluse Xu You was very capable, he wanted to cede his leadership to Xu You.
Tang Yao said to Xu You, 'If the sun and moon are already out, isn't it meaningless to keep candles lit compared to their brightness? If timely rain has already fallen, isn't it futile to water the crops? If you were to assume leadership, you would certainly govern the world even better. What meaning is there for me to occupy this position? I feel ashamed, please allow me to entrust the world to you.'
Xu You replied, 'You have already governed the world very well. If I were to replace you now, wouldn't I be seeking fame? I now live by my own efforts; what do I need those empty titles for? A wren building its nest in the forest occupies no more than a single branch; a mole drinking from the Yellow River only drinks its fill. What use is the world to me? Let it be. Even if the cook doesn't prepare the sacrificial food, the officiant cannot step over the ritual vessels and take his place in the kitchen to cook.'

Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
Open the tool →
Choose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order
Open the tool →
Chinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets
Open the tool →
Turn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4
Open the tool →越俎代庖 (yuè zǔ dài páo) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to exceed one's authority and meddle in others' affairs”.
越俎代庖 is pronounced yuè zǔ dài páo in Mandarin Chinese.
Literally, 越俎代庖 means “Step over the sacrificial vessel and replace the cook”. It is used to mean “to exceed one's authority and meddle in others' affairs”.
越俎代庖 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
越:跨过;俎:古代祭祀时摆祭品的礼器;庖:厨师。主祭的人跨过礼器去代替厨师办席。比喻超出自己业务范围去处理别人所管的事。