可笑不自量

kěxiàobùzìliàng

phrase

Meanings

1 laughable, they do not know their own measure
2 (fig.) ridiculing those who overestimate themselves and challenge something vastly greater
3 (lit.) laughable — not self-measuring

Characters

laugh (可笑 = laughable)

Examples

小厂想跟国际巨头正面竞争，真是蚍蜉撼大树，可笑不自量。

Xiǎo chǎng xiǎng gēn guójì jùtóu zhèngmiàn jìngzhēng, zhēn shì pífú hàn dà shù, kěxiào bù zì liàng.

A tiny factory taking on international giants head-on is truly 'an ant trying to shake a great tree — laughable, not knowing their own measure.'

他凭一己之力想扳倒整个行业，实在可笑不自量。

Tā píng yī jǐ zhī lì xiǎng bāndǎo zhěnggè hángyè, shízài kěxiào bù zì liàng.

Trying single-handedly to topple a whole industry is really 'laughable self-miscalculation.'

Tips

history

From 韩愈《调张籍》(Han Yu, 'Teasing Zhang Ji,' middle Tang, c. 810 CE): 蚍蜉撼大树，可笑不自量 (An ant tries to shake a great tree — laughable, not knowing its own measure). Han Yu wrote it defending the greatness of Li Bai and Du Fu against petty detractors. The image gave Chinese the idiom 蚍蜉撼树.

usage

Always the second half of the couplet 蚍蜉撼大树，可笑不自量. Reading: 量 here = liàng (to measure / assess), 4th tone. Modern usage mocks any David hopelessly underestimating Goliath.

Stroke Order

可 kě

笑 xiào

不 bù

自 zì

量 liàng