蚍蜉撼树

蚍蜉撼樹

pífú-hànshù

idiom

Meanings

1 an ant trying to shake a tree
2 to grossly overrate oneself; to attempt the hopeless

Characters

first half of pifu, a large ant

second half of pifu, a large ant

Examples

HSK 7-9

这家小公司想挑战行业巨头，有人说是蚍蜉撼树。

Zhè jiā xiǎo gōngsī xiǎng tiǎozhàn hángyè jùtóu, yǒurén shuō shì pífú-hànshù.

This small company wants to take on the industry giants; some say it's an ant trying to shake a tree.

HSK 7-9

那些人想动摇他的地位，不过是蚍蜉撼树。

Nàxiē rén xiǎng dòngyáo tā de dìwèi, búguò shì pífú-hànshù.

Those people trying to shake his position are just ants trying to shake a tree.

Tips

history

Shortened from Han Yu's poem 《调张籍》, written against critics of 李白 and 杜甫: 蚍蜉撼大树，可笑不自量, 'an ant shaking a great tree, laughable, not knowing its own measure'. 蚍蜉 is a large ant.

register

Contemptuous. Used of others who take on something far beyond them, never modestly of yourself.

Stroke Order

蚍 pí

蜉 fú

撼 hàn

树 shù