白面书生 — “A young, inexperienced scholar who lacks practical knowledge”
白面书生 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a young, inexperienced scholar who lacks practical knowledge”. Often implies someone who is knowledgeable in books but naive in real-world affairs. Literally, “white-faced scholar”.
白面书生 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 白bái
- 面miàn
- 书shū
- 生shēng
白面书生 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 白面书生
Origin and Story of 白面书生
During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, there was a man named Shen Qingzhi. Shen Qingzhi was skilled in warfare from a young age and often returned victorious. Later, he was appointed 'General Jianwu' and was specifically responsible for defending the borders.
One day, the emperor wanted to expand the territory northward. Shen Qingzhi learned of this and strongly advised the emperor against it: 'Your Majesty, this must not be done. Do you still remember the failures of previous generals who tried to expand northward? Your Majesty...' Shen Qingzhi continuously tried to persuade the emperor, who grew annoyed and said to Shen Qingzhi, 'I don't want to hear it anymore. I'll have others discuss it with you!' The emperor then found two civil officials to debate with Shen Qingzhi.
Shen Qingzhi helplessly said to the emperor, 'Your Majesty, governing a country is like managing a household. If you want to discuss farming, you should consult the farmers who work in the fields every day. If you want to discuss weaving, you should ask the weaving maids. Now, Your Majesty wants to attack other countries, yet you consult two 'white-faced scholars' who have never fought a battle. How can this battle succeed?'
The emperor impatiently said, 'Stop talking. My decision will not change!' The emperor did not heed Shen Qingzhi's advice, and in the end, suffered a great defeat.
Later, people used Shen Qingzhi's phrase 'white-faced scholar' to describe young, inexperienced scholars who only knew knowledge from books and were unaware of practical methods for handling affairs.
Idioms Related to 白面书生
Synonyms of 白面书生
Antonyms of 白面书生
More idioms starting with 白
- bái白dīng丁sú俗kè客Unlettered commoners; boorish people
- bái白yún云qīn亲shè舍missing one's parents, like white clouds over home
- bái白yún云gū孤fēi飞Longing for parents while away from home
- bái白yún云cāng苍gǒu狗worldly affairs change unpredictably
- bái白yún云qīng青shě舍yearn for distant family or hometown
- bái白tù兔chì赤wū乌the moon and sun; passage of time
- bái白dāo刀zi子jìn进，，hóng红dāo刀zi子chū出fight to the death
- bái白huá华zhī之yuàn怨lament of a discarded woman
- bái白fà发dān丹xīn心loyal and true-hearted in old age
- bái白fà发xié偕lǎo老grow old together as a loving couple
- bái白fà发qiān千zhàng丈extreme grief or worry ages one rapidly
- bái白fà发pó婆suō娑flowing white hair
Questions about 白面书生
- What does 白面书生 mean?
- 白面书生 (bái miàn shū shēng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a young, inexperienced scholar who lacks practical knowledge”.
- How do you pronounce 白面书生?
- 白面书生 is pronounced bái miàn shū shēng in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 白面书生 literally mean?
- Literally, 白面书生 means “white-faced scholar”. It is used to mean “a young, inexperienced scholar who lacks practical knowledge”.
- Where does 白面书生 come from?
- 白面书生 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 白面书生?
- 指缺乏阅历经验的读书人。也指面孔白净的读书人。