望梅止渴

wàngméizhǐkě

idiom

Meanings

1 quenching thirst by thinking of plums
2 consoling oneself with illusions

Characters

to look at / gaze

Examples

靠幻想赚大钱，那是望梅止渴。

Kào huànxiǎng zhuàn dàqián, nà shì wàngméizhǐkě.

Relying on fantasies to get rich is just quenching thirst by imagining plums.

他看着菜单望梅止渴，其实根本吃不起。

Tā kànzhe càidān wàngméizhǐkě, qíshí gēnběn chī bù qǐ.

He stared at the menu as empty consolation; he could not actually afford any of it.

Tips

history

From 刘义庆《世说新语·假谲》: Cao Cao's (曹操) army was marching in summer heat with no water in sight. He told his troops there was a plum grove ahead full of sour fruit. Their mouths watered at the thought, easing their thirst long enough to reach a real spring.

Stroke Order

望 wàng

梅 méi

止 zhǐ

渴 kě