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扶不起的阿斗

fúbuqǐdeĀdǒu
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 a hopeless case
  2. 2 someone who can't be propped up no matter how much help you give them
  3. 3 (literally) 'an A-Dou who can't be helped to his feet'

Examples

我教了他三遍他还不会，真是扶不起的阿斗。
Wǒ jiāole tā sān biàn tā hái bù huì, zhēn shì fúbuqǐ de Ādǒu.
I've taught him three times and he still can't do it — a totally hopeless case.
这家公司亏损连连，简直是扶不起的阿斗。
Zhè jiā gōngsī kuīsǔn liánlián, jiǎnzhí shì fúbuqǐ de Ādǒu.
This company keeps losing money — it's beyond saving.

Tips

history
阿斗 (Ādǒu) is the childhood nickname of Liu Shan (刘禅 Liú Shàn, 207–271), son of Liu Bei and second emperor of Shu Han. Despite being supported by the brilliant strategist Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮 Zhūgě Liàng), he was famously inept and surrendered to Wei in 263. After capture, when asked if he missed Shu, he replied 此间乐，不思蜀也 ('I'm having fun here, I don't miss Shu'), giving Chinese another famous idiom 乐不思蜀 (lèbùsīShǔ). His name became a byword for the weakling no mentor can rescue.
grammar
Pattern: V + 不起 + 的 + Noun = 'a Noun that can't be V-ed up'. Here 扶 (fú, to support someone upright) + 不起 (bù qǐ, can't get [them] up). The phrase usually slots in as a predicate: 真是扶不起的阿斗 / 简直是扶不起的阿斗.

Stroke Order

扶 fú
不 bù
起 qǐ
的 de
阿 ā
斗 dòu