守株待兔 (shǒu zhū dài tù) — (idiom) to trust to chance and wait idly for opportunities instead of taking initiative; (literal) to guard a tree stump waiting for rabbits — from the fable
Definition
A classical 成语 from a fable: a farmer who waits by a tree stump for a rabbit to crash into it, then quits farming. Use it to criticize passively waiting for luck instead of acting.
idiom
to trust to chance and wait idly for opportunities instead of taking initiative
phrase
(literal) to guard a tree stump waiting for rabbits — from the fable
Examples
- 守株待兔，。Wǒ men bù néng shǒu zhū dài tù, bì xū zì jǐ chū qù zhǎo jī huì.We can't just wait around for luck; we have to go out and find opportunities ourselves.
- 守株待兔。Tā zhè zhǒng shǒu zhū dài tù de xīn tài ràng tā làng fèi le sān nián shí jiān.His mentality of waiting for a windfall cost him three wasted years.
- 守株待兔，。Bú yào zài shǒu zhū dài tù le, zhǔ dòng qù lián xì kè hù ba.Stop waiting for things to come to you; take the initiative and contact clients.
Appears in
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