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青黄不接

青黃不接
qīnghuángbùjiē
idiom

Meanings

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

Examples

部门目前青黄不接，急需招聘新人。
Bùmén mùqián qīnghuángbùjiē, jí xū zhāopìn xīnrén.
The department is currently short-handed between generations — we urgently need to hire new people.
春天是青黄不接的季节，农民最辛苦。
Chūntiān shì qīnghuángbùjiē de jìjié, nóngmín zuì xīnkǔ.
Spring is the lean season between crops — the hardest time for farmers.
国家队目前青黄不接，年轻球员还需要锻炼。
Guójiāduì mùqián qīnghuángbùjiē, niánqīng qiúyuán hái xūyào duànliàn.
The national team is in a generational gap — the young players still need more seasoning.

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