四体不勤

四體不勤

sìtǐbùqín

idiom

Meanings

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

Characters

diligent / to labor

Examples

他从小娇生惯养，四体不勤。

Tā cóngxiǎo jiāoshēngguànyǎng, sìtǐbùqín.

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

别做一个四体不勤，五谷不分的书呆子。

Bié zuò yí ge sìtǐbùqín, wǔgǔbùfēn 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