伤弓之鸟 — “A bird injured by the bow”
伤弓之鸟 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a person who has been badly frightened or traumatized by a past experience, and is now extremely cautious and easily startled by any similar hint or minor disturbance; like a bird that has been injured by an arrow and is now scared by the mere twang of a bowstring”. Literally, “A bird injured by the bow”.
伤弓之鸟 Pronunciation and Pinyin
伤弓之鸟 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 伤弓之鸟
Origin and Story of 伤弓之鸟
Once upon a time, there was a master archer named Geng Ying, who was discussing his archery skills with King Wei.
Just then, a wild goose flew by from east to west. Geng Ying drew his bow and released the string without an arrow. To the king's surprise, the goose immediately fell to the ground.
Puzzled, King Wei asked for an explanation. Geng Ying said, 'This goose was already injured and had separated from its flock, flying low. When it heard the sound of the bowstring, it was so startled and terrified that it didn't know how to react. In its desperate struggle, its old wound ruptured, causing it to fall to its death.'
Idioms Related to 伤弓之鸟
Synonyms of 伤弓之鸟
More idioms starting with 伤
- shāng伤huà化bài败sú俗corrupt public morals and customs
- shāng伤tiān天hài害lǐ理commit brutal, immoral, unconscionable acts
- shāng伤yí夷zhé折nǜ衄suffer injuries and defeats
- shāng伤xīn心cǎn惨mù目heart-rending and appalling to witness
- shāng伤xīn心jí疾shǒu首profoundly distressed and heartbroken
- shāng伤xīn心hāo蒿mù目Grieve over troubled times
- shāng伤jiào教bài败sú俗corrupt public morals
- shāng伤jīn筋dòng动gǔ骨suffer severe injury or damage
- shāng伤yán言zhā扎yǔ语make sarcastic, cutting, or hurtful remarks
- shāng伤cái财láo劳zhòng众waste money and trouble people
- shāng伤fēng风bài败sú俗corrupt public morals
- shāng伤fēng风bài败huà化corrupt public morals
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Open the tool →Questions about 伤弓之鸟
What does 伤弓之鸟 mean?
伤弓之鸟 (shāng gōng zhī niǎo) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a person who has been badly frightened or traumatized by a past experience, and is now extremely cautious and easily startled by any similar hint or minor disturbance; like a bird that has been injured by an arrow and is now scared by the mere twang of a bowstring”.
How do you pronounce 伤弓之鸟?
伤弓之鸟 is pronounced shāng gōng zhī niǎo in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 伤弓之鸟 literally mean?
Literally, 伤弓之鸟 means “a bird injured by the bow”. It is used to mean “a person who has been badly frightened or traumatized by a past experience, and is now extremely cautious and easily startled by any similar hint or minor disturbance; like a bird that has been injured by an arrow and is now scared by the mere twang of a bowstring”.
Where does 伤弓之鸟 come from?
伤弓之鸟 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 伤弓之鸟?
被弓箭吓怕了的鸟。比喻受过惊吓，遇到一点动静就怕的人。