东郭先生 — “Mr. Dongguo”
东郭先生 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a misguided humanitarian who shows undue pity to a villain or evil person; someone foolishly kind to those who are ungrateful or dangerous”. Literally, “Mr. Dongguo”.
东郭先生 Pronunciation and Pinyin
东郭先生 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 东郭先生
Origin and Story of 东郭先生
During the Spring and Autumn period, Zhao Jianzi, a high official of the Jin State, was hunting in Zhongshan. He encountered a wolf and pursued it relentlessly.
The wolf met Mr. Dongguo and pleaded, "Sir, could you lend me your bag so I can hide for a while and escape this calamity? I will repay your great kindness."
Mr. Dongguo, out of a misguided sense of compassion, helped the wolf.
After the danger passed, the wolf safely jumped out of the bag and immediately pounced on Mr. Dongguo, attempting to bite him.
Idioms Related to 东郭先生
Synonyms of 东郭先生
More idioms starting with 东
- dōng东yī一xià下xī西yī一xià下act aimlessly or erratically
- dōng东dǎo倒xī西wāi歪staggering and lopsided
- dōng东tōu偷xī西mō摸pilfer here and there
- dōng东tù兔xī西wū乌The relentless passage of time
- dōng东chōng冲xī西jué决floodwaters gushing and breaching banks
- dōng东chōng冲xī西zhuàng撞rush about aimlessly
- dōng东chōng冲xī西tū突charge and attack in all directions
- dōng东láo劳xī西yàn燕friends or lovers separating
- dōng东nán南zhī之bǎo宝outstanding talents from the Southeast
- dōng东nán南zhī之xiù秀Outstanding talents from the Southeast
- dōng东nán南zhī之měi美Eminence of the Southeast
- dōng东nán南bàn半bì壁southeastern half of the country
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Open the tool →Questions about 东郭先生
What does 东郭先生 mean?
东郭先生 (dōng guō xiān sheng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a misguided humanitarian who shows undue pity to a villain or evil person; someone foolishly kind to those who are ungrateful or dangerous”.
How do you pronounce 东郭先生?
东郭先生 is pronounced dōng guō xiān sheng in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 东郭先生 literally mean?
Literally, 东郭先生 means “Mr. Dongguo”. It is used to mean “a misguided humanitarian who shows undue pity to a villain or evil person; someone foolishly kind to those who are ungrateful or dangerous”.
Where does 东郭先生 come from?
东郭先生 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 东郭先生?
泛指对坏人讲仁慈的糊涂人。