短绠汲深 — “A short rope cannot draw water from a deep well”
短绠汲深 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to attempt a profound or difficult task with insufficient ability or resources; to be incapable of handling a demanding situation due to lack of competence”. Literally, “A short rope cannot draw water from a deep well”.
短绠汲深 Pronunciation and Pinyin
短绠汲深 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 短绠汲深
Origin and Story of 短绠汲深
During the Spring and Autumn Period, Yan Hui, a disciple of Confucius, traveled from the State of Lu to the State of Qi, intending to discuss the grand principles of governing a state with the Duke of Qi.
Confucius, however, felt uneasy about this. When Zigong asked why,
Confucius replied, 'I recall a saying by Guan Zi: "A small pouch cannot hold a large amount, and a short rope cannot draw water from a deep well." This means that one must analyze specific problems in their specific context, and I'm concerned Yan Hui might find this difficult to achieve.'
Idioms Related to 短绠汲深
Synonyms of 短绠汲深
More idioms starting with 短
- duǎn短zhōng中qǔ取cháng长make the best of a limited selection
- duǎn短bīng兵jiē接zhàn战engage in close-quarters combat
- duǎn短bīng兵xiāng相jiē接Engage in close, intense confrontation
- duǎn短dāo刀zhí直rù入get straight to the point
- duǎn短tàn叹cháng长xū吁to sigh and lament repeatedly
- duǎn短xū吁cháng长tàn叹sighing repeatedly and deeply
- duǎn短chī吃shǎo少chuān穿short of food and clothing
- duǎn短yuán垣zì自yú逾willfully transgress established norms
- duǎn短shòu寿cù促mìng命to die young
- duǎn短xiǎo小jīng精gàn干small, capable, and efficient
- duǎn短xiǎo小jīng精hàn悍short, capable, and powerful
- duǎn短píng平kuài快low investment, short duration, quick results
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Open the tool →Questions about 短绠汲深
What does 短绠汲深 mean?
短绠汲深 (duǎn gěng jí shēn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to attempt a profound or difficult task with insufficient ability or resources; to be incapable of handling a demanding situation due to lack of competence”.
How do you pronounce 短绠汲深?
短绠汲深 is pronounced duǎn gěng jí shēn in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 短绠汲深 literally mean?
Literally, 短绠汲深 means “a short rope cannot draw water from a deep well”. It is used to mean “to attempt a profound or difficult task with insufficient ability or resources; to be incapable of handling a demanding situation due to lack of competence”.
Where does 短绠汲深 come from?
短绠汲深 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 短绠汲深?
绠：汲水用的绳子；汲：从井里打水。吊桶的绳子短，打不了深井里的水。比喻能力薄弱，难以担任艰巨的任务。