Chinese idiom & myth stories — listen while you read

huà shé tiān zú

A man finishes his snake first, then foolishly adds legs — and loses the prize. A classic idiom about ruined perfection.

画好了蛇又添上脚，比喻做了多余的事反而把好事搞砸。

shǒu zhū dài tù

A farmer waits by a tree hoping another rabbit will crash into it. An idiom about wishful thinking instead of hard work.

守在树桩旁等兔子撞死，比喻妄想不劳而获。

yǎn ěr dào líng

A thief covers his own ears so he "cannot hear" the bell — and believes no one else can either. Self-deception, in one tale.

偷铃时捂自己的耳朵，以为别人也听不见，比喻自欺欺人。

kè zhōu qiú jiàn

A man drops his sword in the river and carves a mark on the boat — not realizing the boat has moved. An idiom about rigid thinking.

船已行而剑不行，比喻拘泥固执，不知变通。

wáng yáng bǔ láo

After sheep escape, the farmer finally patches the pen. "It is not too late." Hope and second chances, in one saying.

丢了羊再修羊圈，比喻出了问题以后想办法补救，可以防止继续受损失。

tiě chǔ mó zhēn

An old woman turns an iron rod into a needle through sheer persistence. The story behind the poet Li Bai.

李白见老妇把铁棒磨成针，领悟只要功夫深就能成功。

hú jiǎ hǔ wēi

A fox tricks a tiger into thinking the beasts fear the fox, not the tiger. The origin of "borrowing power."

狐狸借老虎的威风吓百兽，比喻倚仗别人的势力来欺压人。

bá miáo zhù zhǎng

An anxious farmer yanks his seedlings higher — they all wilt the next day. Patience, told as a parable.

把禾苗拔高帮助它生长，结果禾苗全枯死了，比喻急于求成反而坏事。

kǒng róng ràng lí

At four, Kong Rong picks the smallest pear for himself. A childhood tale of courtesy and humility.

孔融四岁时把大梨让给哥哥们，自己拿最小的，流传千年的谦让故事。

sīmǎ guāng zá gāng

A child falls into a water vat — young Sima Guang smashes the vat with a stone to drain the water. Calm under pressure.

小朋友掉进水缸，司马光急中生智砸缸救人，临危不乱的童年故事。

mèng mǔ sān qiān

A mother relocates her home twice to find the right neighborhood for her son. The legendary origin of "environment shapes children."

孟母为了给孟子好的成长环境三次搬家，伟大母爱的典范。

jīngwèi tián hǎi

A tiny bird named Jingwei carries pebbles to fill the ocean that took her life. Mythology of relentless will.

炎帝的小女儿化作精卫鸟，每天衔木石填东海，象征不屈不挠的毅力。

nǚwā bǔ tiān

When the heavens crack, the goddess Nüwa melts five-colored stones to patch them. A creation myth of cosmic repair.

天塌地陷时女娲炼五色石补天，拯救苍生的上古神话。

yúgōng yí shān

Two mountains block an old man’s door — he and his sons dig them down, one basket at a time. Willpower against geography.

愚公率子孙挖山不止，最终感动天神搬走大山，象征持之以恒。

chángˈé bēn yuè

After drinking the elixir of immortality, Chang’e ascends to live on the moon. The myth behind Mid-Autumn Festival mooncakes.

嫦娥吞下长生药升天，从此住在广寒宫，中秋节的古老传说。