"緣木求魚" meaning in Chinese

{
  "etymology_examples": [
    {
      "english": "\"It is even worse,\" was the reply. \"If you climb a tree to seek for fish, although you do not get the fish, you will not suffer any subsequent calamity. But doing what you do to seek for what you desire, doing it moreover with all your heart, you will assuredly afterwards meet with calamities.\"",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Classical Chinese",
        "Traditional Chinese"
      ],
      "ref": " Mencius, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version",
      "roman": "Yuē: “Dài yǒu shèn yān. Yuán mù qiú yú, suī bùdé yú, wú hòu zāi. Yǐ ruò suǒ wéi, qiú ruò suǒ yù, jìn xīnlì ér wéi zhī, hòu bì yǒu zāi.”",
      "tags": [
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "text": "曰：「殆有甚焉。緣木求魚，雖不得魚，無後災。以若所為，求若所欲，盡心力而為之，後必有災。」",
      "type": "quote"
    },
    {
      "english": "\"It is even worse,\" was the reply. \"If you climb a tree to seek for fish, although you do not get the fish, you will not suffer any subsequent calamity. But doing what you do to seek for what you desire, doing it moreover with all your heart, you will assuredly afterwards meet with calamities.\"",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Classical Chinese",
        "Simplified Chinese"
      ],
      "ref": " Mencius, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version",
      "roman": "Yuē: “Dài yǒu shèn yān. Yuán mù qiú yú, suī bùdé yú, wú hòu zāi. Yǐ ruò suǒ wéi, qiú ruò suǒ yù, jìn xīnlì ér wéi zhī, hòu bì yǒu zāi.”",
      "tags": [
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "text": "曰：「殆有甚焉。缘木求鱼，虽不得鱼，无后灾。以若所为，求若所欲，尽心力而为之，后必有灾。」",
      "type": "quote"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "zh",
        "2": "(《孟子·梁惠王上》)"
      },
      "expansion": "(《孟子·梁惠王上》)",
      "name": "lang"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Mencius (《孟子·梁惠王上》)",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "缘木求鱼",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Simplified Chinese"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "zh",
        "2": "idiom"
      },
      "expansion": "緣木求魚",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Chinese",
  "lang_code": "zh",
  "literal_meaning": "to seek for fish in a tree",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Cantonese chengyu",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Chinese chengyu",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Chinese chengyu derived from Mencius",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Chinese entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Hokkien chengyu",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Mandarin chengyu",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to pursue an end by impossible or unjustifiable means"
      ],
      "id": "en-緣木求魚-zh-phrase-b0Sbi7~O",
      "links": [
        [
          "pursue",
          "pursue"
        ],
        [
          "impossible",
          "impossible"
        ],
        [
          "unjustifiable",
          "unjustifiable"
        ],
        [
          "means",
          "means"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Mencius (book)"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "yuánmùqiúyú"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "bopomofo"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ㄩㄢˊ ㄇㄨˋ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄩˊ"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Jyutping"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "jyun⁴ muk⁶ kau⁴ jyu⁴"
    },
    {
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-gû"
    },
    {
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-hî"
    },
    {
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-hû"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hanyu-Pinyin",
        "Mandarin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "yuánmùqiúyú"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Tongyong-Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "yuánmùcióuyú"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Wade-Giles"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "yüan²-mu⁴-chʻiu²-yü²"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Yale"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ywán-mù-chyóu-yú"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Gwoyeu-Romatsyh",
        "Mandarin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "yuanmuhchyouyu"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Palladius"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "юаньмуцююй"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Palladius"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "juanʹmucjujuj"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɥɛn³⁵ mu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ y³⁵/",
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Sinological-IPA"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Yale"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "yùhn muhk kàuh yùh"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "jyn⁴ muk⁹ kau⁴ jy⁴"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Guangdong-Romanization"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "yun⁴ mug⁶ keo⁴ yu⁴"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/jyːn²¹ mʊk̚² kʰɐu̯²¹ jyː²¹/",
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Sinological-IPA"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "POJ"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-gû"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Tai-lo"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-gû"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Phofsit-Daibuun"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ienbogkiu'guu"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/iɛn²⁴⁻²² bɔk̚⁴⁻³² kiu²⁴⁻²² ɡu²⁴/",
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Xiamen"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "POJ"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-hî"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Tai-lo"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-hî"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Phofsit-Daibuun"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ienbogkiu'hii"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/iɛn²³⁻³³ bɔk̚⁴⁻³² kiu²³⁻³³ hi²³/",
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Kaohsiung"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "POJ"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-hû"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Tai-lo"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-hû"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Phofsit-Daibuun"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ienbogkiu'huu"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/iɛn²⁴⁻¹¹ bɔk̚⁴⁻³² kiu²⁴⁻¹¹ hu²⁴/",
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Taipei"
      ]
    },
    {
      "other": "/ iân-bo̍k-kiû-hî /"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɥɛn³⁵ mu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ y³⁵/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/jyːn²¹ mʊk̚² kʰɐu̯²¹ jyː²¹/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/iɛn²⁴⁻²² bɔk̚⁴⁻³² kiu²⁴⁻²² ɡu²⁴/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/iɛn²³⁻³³ bɔk̚⁴⁻³² kiu²³⁻³³ hi²³/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/iɛn²⁴⁻¹¹ bɔk̚⁴⁻³² kiu²⁴⁻¹¹ hu²⁴/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "緣木求魚"
}

{
  "etymology_examples": [
    {
      "english": "\"It is even worse,\" was the reply. \"If you climb a tree to seek for fish, although you do not get the fish, you will not suffer any subsequent calamity. But doing what you do to seek for what you desire, doing it moreover with all your heart, you will assuredly afterwards meet with calamities.\"",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Classical Chinese",
        "Traditional Chinese"
      ],
      "ref": " Mencius, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version",
      "roman": "Yuē: “Dài yǒu shèn yān. Yuán mù qiú yú, suī bùdé yú, wú hòu zāi. Yǐ ruò suǒ wéi, qiú ruò suǒ yù, jìn xīnlì ér wéi zhī, hòu bì yǒu zāi.”",
      "tags": [
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "text": "曰：「殆有甚焉。緣木求魚，雖不得魚，無後災。以若所為，求若所欲，盡心力而為之，後必有災。」",
      "type": "quote"
    },
    {
      "english": "\"It is even worse,\" was the reply. \"If you climb a tree to seek for fish, although you do not get the fish, you will not suffer any subsequent calamity. But doing what you do to seek for what you desire, doing it moreover with all your heart, you will assuredly afterwards meet with calamities.\"",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Classical Chinese",
        "Simplified Chinese"
      ],
      "ref": " Mencius, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version",
      "roman": "Yuē: “Dài yǒu shèn yān. Yuán mù qiú yú, suī bùdé yú, wú hòu zāi. Yǐ ruò suǒ wéi, qiú ruò suǒ yù, jìn xīnlì ér wéi zhī, hòu bì yǒu zāi.”",
      "tags": [
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "text": "曰：「殆有甚焉。缘木求鱼，虽不得鱼，无后灾。以若所为，求若所欲，尽心力而为之，后必有灾。」",
      "type": "quote"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "zh",
        "2": "(《孟子·梁惠王上》)"
      },
      "expansion": "(《孟子·梁惠王上》)",
      "name": "lang"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Mencius (《孟子·梁惠王上》)",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "缘木求鱼",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Simplified Chinese"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "zh",
        "2": "idiom"
      },
      "expansion": "緣木求魚",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Chinese",
  "lang_code": "zh",
  "literal_meaning": "to seek for fish in a tree",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Cantonese chengyu",
        "Cantonese idioms",
        "Cantonese lemmas",
        "Chinese chengyu",
        "Chinese chengyu derived from Mencius",
        "Chinese entries with incorrect language header",
        "Chinese idioms",
        "Chinese lemmas",
        "Chinese terms spelled with 木",
        "Chinese terms spelled with 求",
        "Chinese terms spelled with 緣",
        "Chinese terms spelled with 魚",
        "Chinese terms with IPA pronunciation",
        "Hokkien chengyu",
        "Hokkien idioms",
        "Hokkien lemmas",
        "Mandarin chengyu",
        "Mandarin idioms",
        "Mandarin lemmas",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to pursue an end by impossible or unjustifiable means"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "pursue",
          "pursue"
        ],
        [
          "impossible",
          "impossible"
        ],
        [
          "unjustifiable",
          "unjustifiable"
        ],
        [
          "means",
          "means"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Mencius (book)"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "yuánmùqiúyú"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "bopomofo"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ㄩㄢˊ ㄇㄨˋ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄩˊ"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Jyutping"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "jyun⁴ muk⁶ kau⁴ jyu⁴"
    },
    {
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-gû"
    },
    {
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-hî"
    },
    {
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-hû"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hanyu-Pinyin",
        "Mandarin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "yuánmùqiúyú"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Tongyong-Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "yuánmùcióuyú"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Wade-Giles"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "yüan²-mu⁴-chʻiu²-yü²"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Yale"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ywán-mù-chyóu-yú"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Gwoyeu-Romatsyh",
        "Mandarin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "yuanmuhchyouyu"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Palladius"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "юаньмуцююй"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Palladius"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "juanʹmucjujuj"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɥɛn³⁵ mu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ y³⁵/",
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Sinological-IPA"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Yale"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "yùhn muhk kàuh yùh"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "jyn⁴ muk⁹ kau⁴ jy⁴"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Guangdong-Romanization"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "yun⁴ mug⁶ keo⁴ yu⁴"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/jyːn²¹ mʊk̚² kʰɐu̯²¹ jyː²¹/",
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Sinological-IPA"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "POJ"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-gû"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Tai-lo"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-gû"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Phofsit-Daibuun"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ienbogkiu'guu"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/iɛn²⁴⁻²² bɔk̚⁴⁻³² kiu²⁴⁻²² ɡu²⁴/",
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Xiamen"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "POJ"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-hî"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Tai-lo"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-hî"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Phofsit-Daibuun"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ienbogkiu'hii"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/iɛn²³⁻³³ bɔk̚⁴⁻³² kiu²³⁻³³ hi²³/",
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Kaohsiung"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "POJ"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-hû"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Tai-lo"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "iân-bo̍k-kiû-hû"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Phofsit-Daibuun"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ienbogkiu'huu"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/iɛn²⁴⁻¹¹ bɔk̚⁴⁻³² kiu²⁴⁻¹¹ hu²⁴/",
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Taipei"
      ]
    },
    {
      "other": "/ iân-bo̍k-kiû-hî /"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɥɛn³⁵ mu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ y³⁵/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/jyːn²¹ mʊk̚² kʰɐu̯²¹ jyː²¹/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/iɛn²⁴⁻²² bɔk̚⁴⁻³² kiu²⁴⁻²² ɡu²⁴/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/iɛn²³⁻³³ bɔk̚⁴⁻³² kiu²³⁻³³ hi²³/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/iɛn²⁴⁻¹¹ bɔk̚⁴⁻³² kiu²⁴⁻¹¹ hu²⁴/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "緣木求魚"
}

{
  "called_from": "pronunciations/296/20230324",
  "msg": "Zh-pron header not found in zh_pron_tags or tags: '(Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺'",
  "path": [
    "緣木求魚"
  ],
  "section": "Chinese",
  "subsection": "",
  "title": "緣木求魚",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "pronunciations/296/20230324",
  "msg": "Zh-pron header not found in zh_pron_tags or tags: 'Southern Min'",
  "path": [
    "緣木求魚"
  ],
  "section": "Chinese",
  "subsection": "",
  "title": "緣木求魚",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "pronunciations/296/20230324",
  "msg": "Zh-pron header not found in zh_pron_tags or tags: '(Standard Chinese)⁺'",
  "path": [
    "緣木求魚"
  ],
  "section": "Chinese",
  "subsection": "",
  "title": "緣木求魚",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "pronunciations/296/20230324",
  "msg": "Zh-pron header not found in zh_pron_tags or tags: 'Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ)'",
  "path": [
    "緣木求魚"
  ],
  "section": "Chinese",
  "subsection": "",
  "title": "緣木求魚",
  "trace": ""
}