青黄不接

青黃不接

qīnghuáng-bùjiē

idiom

Meanings

1 green and yellow don't meet - old grain gone, new crop not yet ripe
2 a period of shortage or transitional gap (in resources, personnel, etc.)

Characters

green; unripe crop

yellow; ripe grain

to connect; to meet

Examples

HSK 5

春天是青黄不接的季节，农民最辛苦。

Chūntiān shì qīnghuáng-bùjiē de jìjié, nóngmín zuì xīnkǔ.

Spring is the lean season between crops - the hardest time for farmers.

HSK 6

国家队目前青黄不接，年轻球员还需要锻炼。

Guójiāduì mùqián qīnghuáng-bùjiē, niánqīng qiúyuán hái xūyào duànliàn.

The national team is in a generational gap - the young players still need more seasoning.

HSK 7-9

部门目前青黄不接，急需招聘新人。

Bùmén mùqián qīnghuáng-bùjiē, jíxū zhāopìn xīnrén.

The department is currently short-handed between generations - we urgently need to hire new people.

Tips

history

From 《元典章·户部·仓库》 (Yuan dynasty administrative code): 即日正是青黄不接之际，各处物斛涌贵 - 'right now it's the gap between crops, grain prices everywhere are surging.' 青 = green young shoots in the field; 黄 = yellow ripe grain in storage. When one runs out before the other arrives, famine threatens.

usage

Modern extensions: sports teams between generations of stars, companies during hiring lulls, short-staffed departments, cash-flow gaps. The agricultural origin is still recognized but rarely the literal meaning.

Stroke Order

青 qīng

黄 huáng

不 bù

接 jiē