Learn Chinese Words: 南辕北辙 (nán yuán běi zhé)

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

南辕北辙 (nán yuán běi zhé) is an ancient idiom, originating from a story in ancient China. It means taking actions that are opposite to one's goals and ultimately failing to achieve them.

Meaning

“南”的意思是南边。
“nán” means south
“辕”的意思是车前部驾牲畜的两根直木。
“yuán” means two straight logs for driving livestock in the front of the car.
“北”的意思是向北、北方。
“bei” means north.
“辙”的意思车轮在地面上碾出的痕迹。
“zhé” means the wheels of a vehicle roll over the ground and leave marks on it.

Story

During the Warring States period, King Wei of Wei decided to attack the capital of the state of Zhao, Handan. The courtiers opposed this decision, and an official named Ji Liang told a story to him: a man driving a carriage to the state of Chu drove northward, and thus he went further and further away from his destination. The competition for supremacy is not won by military might, but by winning the hearts of the people. Going to war is like driving a carriage towards the south while sitting in a carriage facing north. King Wei of Wei decided not to go to war.

Revelation

To achieve success, it is necessary to have a clear direction and goal from the outset in order to fully leverage one's favorable conditions, otherwise it will only have the opposite effect. If one aims to achieve a certain goal but acts in a contrary manner, then such actions will only lead to greater distance from success.

Sentences

  1. His plan sounds great, but in reality, it's completely off track and difficult to achieve.
    他的计划听起来很好，但实际上是南辕北辙，难以实现。
    tā de jì huà tīng qǐ lái hěn hǎo, dàn shí jì shàng shì nán yuán běi zhé, nán yǐ shí xiàn.
  2. Our goal is to encourage more people to use environmentally friendly products, and your actions are completely the opposite.
    我们的目标是让更多的人使用环保产品，你这样做简直是南辕北辙。
    wǒ men de mù biāo shì ràng gèng duō de rén shǐ yòng huán bǎo chǎn pǐn, nǐ zhè yàng zuò jiǎn zhí shì nán yuán běi zhé.
  3. You want to go east, but he wants to go west. It's like driving in opposite directions, we can't agree.
    你想往东走，他却要往西去，真是南辕北辙，无法相投。
    nǐ xiǎng wǎng dōng zǒu, tā què yào wǎng xī qù, zhēn shì nán yuán běi zhé, wú fǎ xiàng tóu.

Sign up for a free trial now!

FAQ / Tips

No, the tuition fees you have paid cover all costs.There are no additional fees or hidden charges. We strive to be transparent and upfront with our pricing, ensuring that our clients receive the best value for their investment.
As a first - time student, if you are not completely satisfied with our service, we offer a cancellation policy that allows you to cancel your subscription before the first month. In such cases, we only charge a one - month fee and refund the remaining balance to you as soon as possible.We strive to ensure that our customers are fully satisfied with our service and are committed to providing a hassle - free refund process.
We provide a wealth of Chinese teaching materials and learning resources, including but not limited to textbooks, workbooks, listening materials, reading materials, video courses, and online courses.Our teaching materials and resources are carefully selected and designed to meet the learning needs and goals of different learners. At the same time, our teachers will provide personalized teaching and guidance based on the learning characteristics and needs of students to ensure that students can learn and master Chinese language efficiently.
Thank you for choosing Chinese Learning for your language learning needs.If you need to cancel or reschedule a lesson, please do so at least 4 hours ahead of time. To request a cancellation, please send an email to ivy.wang @chineselearning.com or service @chineselearning.com.We appreciate your cooperation and understanding, and we look forward to providing you with the best learning experience possible."
If you have any questions or concerns, you can send an email to: service @chineselearning.com.We have a team of professionals who will be happy to assist you with any issues as soon as possible.
At Chinese Learning, protecting our customers' personal information is a top priority. We have implemented robust security measures to safeguard your data and prevent any unauthorized access or disclosure. For further information on our privacy practices, please refer to our Privacy Policy, which outlines our commitment to data protection and privacy.