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Definition 2024

緣木求魚

緣木求魚

See also: 缘木求鱼

Chinese

{| style="clear: right;margin: 1em;border-collapse: collapse;text-align: center"

|- !

!

 
along; predestined affinity; reason; edge

!tree; wood

!

 
to seek; to look for; to request; to demand; to beseech

!fish |- !trad. (緣木求魚) | 緣 | 木 | 求 | 魚 |- !simp. (缘木求鱼) | 缘 | 木 | 求 | 鱼 |- !Literally: “to seek for fish in a tree”. |}

Idiom

緣木求魚

  1. To pursue an end by impossible or unjustifiable means.

Etymology

Mencius, 3rd century BCE.

Pronunciation

  • Mandarin
  • Cantonese
  • Min Nan
    • (Hokkien)
      • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iân-bo̍k-kiû-hî / iân-bo̍k-kiû-hû
      • Tâi-lô: iân-bo̍k-kiû-hî / iân-bo̍k-kiû-hû
      • Phofsit Daibuun: ienbogkiu'hii, ienbogkiu'huu
      • IPA (Xiamen): /iɛn²⁴⁻²² bɔk̚⁴⁻²¹ kiu²⁴⁻²² hi²⁴/, /iɛn²⁴⁻²² bɔk̚⁴⁻²¹ kiu²⁴⁻²² hu²⁴/
      • IPA (Quanzhou): /iɛn²⁴⁻²² bɔk̚²⁴⁻²² kiu²⁴⁻²² hi²⁴/, /iɛn²⁴⁻²² bɔk̚²⁴⁻²² kiu²⁴⁻²² hu²⁴/
      • IPA (Zhangzhou): /iɛn¹³⁻²² bɔk̚¹²¹⁻²¹ kiu¹³⁻²² hi¹³/, /iɛn¹³⁻²² bɔk̚¹²¹⁻²¹ kiu¹³⁻²² hu¹³/
      • IPA (Taipei): /iɛn²⁴⁻¹¹ bɔk̚⁴⁻³² kiu²⁴⁻¹¹ hi²⁴/, /iɛn²⁴⁻¹¹ bɔk̚⁴⁻³² kiu²⁴⁻¹¹ hu²⁴/
      • IPA (Kaohsiung): /iɛn²³⁻³³ bɔk̚⁴⁻³² kiu²³⁻³³ hi²³/, /iɛn²³⁻³³ bɔk̚⁴⁻³² kiu²³⁻³³ hu²³/

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