无用武之地 (wú yòng wǔ zhī dì) — (idiom) no place to display one's abilities; to have no opportunity to use one's talents

Definition

A chengyu for having 'no stage to use one's skills' — used for talent or training that has no opportunity to be put to use. Borrowed from 蜀中无大将，廖化作先锋 and often paired with 怀才不遇.

idiom
no place to display one's abilitiesto have no opportunity to use one's talents

Examples

  • ，无用武之地，。
    Tā mǎn fù cái huá, què wú yòng wǔ zhī dì, zhǐ néng zài xiǎo gōng sī zuò jiǎn dān de gōng zuò.
    He is full of talent but has no place to use it, only able to do simple work at a small company.
  • ，无用武之地。
    Zài zhè ge hé píng nián dài, nà xiē wǔ shù gāo shǒu gǎn dào wú yòng wǔ zhī dì.
    In this era of peace, those martial arts masters feel they have no place to display their skills.
  • ，无用武之地。
    Gōng sī lǐ rén cái tài duō, xīn lái de yuán gōng jué de wú yòng wǔ zhī dì.
    There are too many talented people in the company, and the new employee feels there is no opportunity to use his abilities.

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 →

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

用 was formed by adding a handle to an earlier form.

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

武 puts 戈 (dagger-axe) above 止 (foot/to walk), showing an army going on an expedition.

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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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →

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