望梅止渴

wàngméi-zhǐkě

idiom

Meanings

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

Characters

to look at / gaze

Examples

HSK 5

他看着菜单望梅止渴，其实根本吃不起。

Tā kàn zhe càidān wàngméizhǐkě, qíshí gēnběn chī bù qǐ.

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

HSK 6

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.

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