Definition
如意算盘 is a fixed idiom meaning 'wishful thinking' — the literal image is a 'wishful abacus' (as if you're calculating things exactly the way you want them to work out). You use it when someone makes a plan that is overly optimistic and unrealistic, usually ignoring obstacles or other people's interests. The expression often appears in the verb-object structure 打如意算盘 ('to engage in wishful thinking') or after 别 ('don't') as a warning.
n.
wishful thinkingsmug calculation
Examples
- 如意算盘，。Nǐ bié dǎ rú yì suàn pán le, zhè jiàn shì méi nàme jiǎndān.Stop your wishful thinking — this matter isn't that simple.
- 如意算盘，。Tā de rú yì suàn pán luòkōng le, jìhuà bùdé bù qǔxiāo.His wishful thinking fell through, and the plan had to be cancelled.
- 如意算盘，。Nǐ zǒngshì dǎ rú yì suàn pán, què cóng bù kǎolǜ shíjì qíngkuàng.You're always engaging in wishful thinking, but you never consider the actual situation.
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