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拔苗助长 (bá miáo zhù zhǎng) — (idiom) to spoil things through excessive enthusiasm; to try to help something grow by pulling it up — a metaphor for being overzealous and causing harm

Definition

A chengyu from a farmer who pulled his seedlings up to make them grow faster — and killed them. It means acting too eagerly and ruining things; the opposite of letting nature take its course.

idiom
to spoil things through excessive enthusiasmto try to help something grow by pulling it up — a metaphor for being overzealous and causing harm

Examples

  • 拔苗助长，。
    Jiào yù hái zi bù néng bá miáo zhù zhǎng, yào yǒu nài xīn.
    When educating children, you cannot spoil things through excessive enthusiasm; you need to be patient.
  • 拔苗助长。
    Tā zhè zhǒng zuò fǎ jiǎn zhí shì bá miáo zhù zhǎng.
    His approach is simply spoiling things through excessive enthusiasm.
  • ，拔苗助长。
    Xué xí yǔ yán yào xún xù jiàn jìn, qiè jì bá miáo zhù zhǎng.
    Learning a language should be done step by step; avoid spoiling things through excessive enthusiasm.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

拔苗pull seedlings
拔bápull苗miáoseedling
动宾Verb + object
助长help grow
助zhùhelp长chánggrow
补充Verb + complement

“拔” pull + “苗” seedling + “助” help + “长” grow gives helping growth by pulling seedlings.

Characters in this word

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
犮
犮bá拔bá
Same sound today

In 拔, the left side 扌 is a hand and the right side 犮 gives the sound; the shape pictures a hand pulling.

Open 拔 →

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

It is made from 艸 (grass) and 田 (field), showing plants in a field, which matches the meaning of a young plant or seedling.

Open 苗 →

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
力力lìstrong arm
Sound part声符shēngfú
且
且qiě助zhù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

助 pairs 力, a strong arm, with 且, which gives the sound; the meaning is help with strength.

Open 助 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →
Appears in
HSK 2.0 Level 6

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