无米之炊 (wú mǐ zhī chuī) — (idiom) a task impossible to accomplish due to lack of essential resources; to make bricks without straw

Definition

A chengyu from a cook who has no rice — used to describe a task that cannot be done because a key ingredient or resource is missing.

idiom
a task impossible to accomplish due to lack of essential resourcesto make bricks without straw

Examples

  • ，无米之炊。
    Méi yǒu zī jīn, zhè ge xiàng mù jiù shì wú mǐ zhī chuī.
    Without funding, this project is like cooking a meal without rice.
  • ，无米之炊。
    Nǐ ràng wǒ yì tiān xiě wán bào gào, jiǎn zhí shì wú mǐ zhī chuī.
    Asking me to finish the report in one day is like making bricks without straw.
  • ，无米之炊。
    Méi yǒu shù jù, zuò fēn xī jiù shì wú mǐ zhī chuī.
    Without data, doing analysis is an impossible task.

Origin

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

米 is a picture of rice kernels without husk, with the horizontal stroke as a bamboo sieve. It is unrelated to similar-looking grain characters.

Open 米 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape pairs 止, a foot, with 一, a beginning place, and means to go.

Open 之 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
吹
吹chuī炊chuī
Same sound today

炊 puts 火 (fire) next to 吹, which supplies the sound; the fire part points to cooking.

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