四体不勤

四體不勤

sìtǐ-bùqín

idiom

Meanings

1 four limbs unused to work
2 unwilling or unable to do physical labor

Characters

diligent / to labor

Examples

HSK 7-9

他从小娇生惯养，四体不勤。

Tā cóngxiǎo jiāoshēng-guànyǎng, sìtǐ-bùqín.

Pampered since childhood, he never learned to use his limbs for work.

HSK 7-9

别做一个四体不勤，五谷不分的书呆子。

Bié zuò yí ge sìtǐ-bùqín, wǔgǔ-bùfēn de shūdāizi.

Do not become a bookworm who cannot work with his hands or tell one grain from another.

Tips

history

From 《论语·微子》: a reclusive farmer scolded Zilu, one of Confucius's disciples, asking about 'your master' with the retort 四体不勤，五谷不分，孰为夫子 - someone whose limbs do no work and who cannot tell the five grains apart, who counts as a teacher? Often quoted alongside 五谷不分.

Stroke Order

四 sì

体 tǐ

不 bù

勤 qín