老马识途 — “An old horse recognizes the way/path”
老马识途 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “an experienced person is familiar with a situation or task and can provide reliable guidance, much like an old horse knows the way”. Literally, “An old horse recognizes the way/path”.
老马识途 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 老lǎo
- 马mǎ
- 识shí
- 途tú
老马识途 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 老马识途
Origin and Story of 老马识途
The idiom "Lao Ma Shi Tu" (老马识途), meaning "an old horse knows the way," originates from the ancient Chinese text "Han Feizi: Shuo Lin Shang." During the Spring and Autumn period, Duke Huan of Qi led an expedition against the state of Guzhu. His trusted ministers, Guan Zhong and Xi Peng, accompanied him.
The campaign lasted from spring until winter. On their return journey, as the seasons had changed and the landscape looked different, the army lost its way in a complex mountainous region. They wandered deep within a valley, unable to find the exit, and their supplies began to dwindle, causing great concern.
Guan Zhong, after much thought, proposed a solution. He observed that even animals like dogs could find their way home, and believed that old horses, being more experienced, would certainly remember the paths they had once traversed. He suggested to Duke Huan, "Your Majesty, I believe old horses possess the wisdom to recognize paths. Let us release some old horses and follow them; they might lead us out of this predicament."
Duke Huan approved the idea. Guan Zhong immediately selected several old horses, untied their reins, and let them walk freely at the head of the army. To everyone's astonishment, these old horses walked purposefully in a particular direction. The entire army followed them closely, and eventually, they successfully navigated out of the winding mountain trails and found the main road back to Qi.
This story gave rise to the idiom "Lao Ma Shi Tu," which is used to describe how experienced individuals are familiar with situations or tasks and can provide valuable guidance.
Idioms Related to 老马识途
Synonyms of 老马识途
Antonyms of 老马识途
More idioms starting with 老
- lǎo老bù不xiǎo晓shì事old and muddled
- lǎo老zhī之jiāng将zhì至old age is approaching
- lǎo老yú于shì世gù故worldly-wise and experienced
- lǎo老sēng僧rù入dìng定deeply absorbed and still
- lǎo老bā八bèi辈zi子extremely old-fashioned
- lǎo老yī医shǎo少bo卜Each has their own strengths
- lǎo老gǔ古bǎn板an old-fashioned stick-in-the-mud
- lǎo老gǔ古dǒng董old-fashioned person or thing
- lǎo老wú吾lǎo老yǐ以jí及rén人zhī之lǎo老Respect all elders as your own
- lǎo老dà大tú徒shāng伤Regret wasted youth in old age
- lǎo老dà大tú徒shāng伤bēi悲lament wasted youth in old age
- lǎo老dà大wú无chéng成grow old without achieving anything
Questions about 老马识途
- What does 老马识途 mean?
- 老马识途 (lǎo mǎ shí tú) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “an experienced person is familiar with a situation or task and can provide reliable guidance, much like an old horse knows the way”.
- How do you pronounce 老马识途?
- 老马识途 is pronounced lǎo mǎ shí tú in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 老马识途 literally mean?
- Literally, 老马识途 means “an old horse recognizes the way/path”. It is used to mean “an experienced person is familiar with a situation or task and can provide reliable guidance, much like an old horse knows the way”.
- Where does 老马识途 come from?
- 老马识途 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 老马识途?
- 老马认识路。比喻有经验的人对事情比较熟悉。