蹇人上天 — “Refers to an impossible task or an undertaking that is doomed to fail”
蹇人上天 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to an impossible task or an undertaking that is doomed to fail”. Something utterly beyond one's capability. Literally, “A lame person ascending to heaven”.
蹇人上天 Pronunciation and Pinyin
蹇人上天 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 蹇人上天
Origin and Story of 蹇人上天
Towards the end of Wang Mang's reign, the world was plunged into great chaos. Wei Xiao, who had a lame foot since childhood due to illness, harbored significant ambition.
He raised an army in Tianshui against Wang Mang and later established his base in the Shaanxi-Gansu region. He aspired to become emperor but was eventually defeated and annihilated by Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Before his ambition could be realized, a children's rhyme circulated in the Tianshui area, saying: "Out of Wumen, observe the Ti group. A lame man is seen, claiming he wants to ascend to heaven; If heaven can be ascended, how can there be people on earth?"
Idioms Related to 蹇人上天
Synonyms of 蹇人上天
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Open the tool →Questions about 蹇人上天
What does 蹇人上天 mean?
蹇人上天 (jiǎn rén shàng tiān) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to an impossible task or an undertaking that is doomed to fail”.
How do you pronounce 蹇人上天?
蹇人上天 is pronounced jiǎn rén shàng tiān in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 蹇人上天 literally mean?
Literally, 蹇人上天 means “a lame person ascending to heaven”. It is used to mean “refers to an impossible task or an undertaking that is doomed to fail”.
Where does 蹇人上天 come from?
蹇人上天 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 蹇人上天?
比喻不可能之事。亦作“蹇人升天”。