捉襟见肘 — “Pull the lapel, reveal the elbow”
捉襟见肘 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to pull one's lapel only to expose one's elbow (describing tattered clothes); (fig.) to be in a difficult financial situation, unable to make ends meet, or to be stretched to the limit, struggling to cope with multiple demands simultaneously”. Literally, “pull the lapel, reveal the elbow”.
捉襟见肘 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 捉zhuō
- 襟jīn
- 见jiàn
- 肘zhǒu
捉襟见肘 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 捉襟见肘
Origin and Story of 捉襟见肘
The idiom 'Zhuo Jin Jian Zhou' originates from a story about Zeng Zi (Zeng Shen), a disciple of Confucius. During his time in the state of Wei, Zeng Zi often went without a meal for three days and hadn't made new clothes for ten years. His attire was so ragged that when he adjusted his robe, his elbow would show through, and when he tied his hat, its strings would break.
Despite his poverty, he would sing the 'Shang Song' (Odes of Shang) with a voice that filled the heavens and earth, like the sound of chimes.
The ruler of the state of Lu, hearing of his plight, sent an envoy to offer him a fief (land and its income), saying, 'Please use this income to make some new clothes.' Zeng Zi refused the offer. The envoy came a second time, but Zeng Zi still declined.
The envoy then asked, 'This is not something you requested, but rather something the ruler wishes to bestow upon you, why do you not accept?' Zeng Zi replied, 'Those who receive often fear the givers, and givers often become arrogant towards those they give to. I worry about whether the ruler, after granting me this fief, would still treat me without arrogance.'
Idioms Related to 捉襟见肘
Synonyms of 捉襟见肘
Antonyms of 捉襟见肘
More idioms starting with 捉
- zhuō捉dāo刀rén人a ghostwriter
- zhuō捉dāo刀dài代bǐ笔to ghostwrite for someone
- zhuō捉jiān奸zhuō捉shuāng双Catch adulterers in the act
- zhuō捉jiān奸yào要shuāng双，，zhuā抓zéi贼yào要zāng赃concrete evidence for serious accusations
- zhuō捉jiān奸jiàn见shuāng双，，zhuā抓zéi贼jiàn见zāng赃concrete evidence is needed for accusations
- zhuō捉jiān奸jiàn见shuāng双，，ná拿zéi贼yào要zāng赃catch red-handed with concrete evidence
- zhuō捉jiān奸jiàn见shuāng双，，zhuō捉zéi贼jiàn见zāng赃Catching culprits requires solid evidence
- zhuō捉jiān奸jiàn见shuāng双，，zhuō捉zéi贼jiàn见zāng赃，，shā杀rén人jiàn见shāng伤Accuse with concrete evidence
- zhuō捉jiān奸jiàn见chuáng床catch in the act of adultery
- zhuō捉jiàng将guān官lǐ里qù去Arrested and taken into custody by officials
- zhuō捉jiāng将xié挟rén人capture the commander to control the forces
- zhuō捉yǐng影bǔ捕fēng风pursue imaginary things
Questions about 捉襟见肘
- What does 捉襟见肘 mean?
- 捉襟见肘 (zhuō jīn jiàn zhǒu) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to pull one's lapel only to expose one's elbow (describing tattered clothes); (fig.) to be in a difficult financial situation, unable to make ends meet, or to be stretched to the limit, struggling to cope with multiple demands simultaneously”.
- How do you pronounce 捉襟见肘?
- 捉襟见肘 is pronounced zhuō jīn jiàn zhǒu in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 捉襟见肘 literally mean?
- Literally, 捉襟见肘 means “pull the lapel, reveal the elbow”. It is used to mean “to pull one's lapel only to expose one's elbow (describing tattered clothes); (fig.) to be in a difficult financial situation, unable to make ends meet, or to be stretched to the limit, struggling to cope with multiple demands simultaneously”.
- Where does 捉襟见肘 come from?
- 捉襟见肘 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 捉襟见肘?
- 拉一拉衣襟，就露出臂肘。形容衣服破烂。比喻顾此失彼，穷于应付。