裹足不前 (guǒ zú bù qián) — to hesitate to advance; to stop in one's tracks (out of fear or reluctance)

Definition

An idiom meaning to stop moving forward because of fear or doubt. Conveys active hesitation and self-imposed paralysis, stronger than simply ‘waiting.’

idiom
to hesitate to advanceto stop in one's tracks (out of fear or reluctance)

Examples

  • ，裹足不前。
    Miàn duì kùn nan, wǒ men bù néng guǒ zú bù qián.
    We cannot hesitate to move forward when facing difficulties.
  • 裹足不前。
    Tā yīn wéi hài pà shī bài ér guǒ zú bù qián.
    He stopped in his tracks because he was afraid of failure.
  • 裹足不前，。
    Gōng sī zài xīn shì chǎng shàng guǒ zú bù qián, cuò shī le hěn duō jī huì.
    The company hesitated to advance in the new market and missed many opportunities.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

裹足bind feet
裹guǒbind足zúfoot
动宾Verb + object
不前not advance
不bùnot前qiánforward
偏正Modifier + head

裹足 and 不前 combine to mean stop advancing.

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
衣衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
果
果guǒ裹guǒ
Same sound today

裹 is made from 衣 (clothes) with 果 inside; 衣 relates to wrapping in clothes, and 果 gives the sound.

Open 裹 →

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

足 was originally drawn as a leg.

Open 足 →

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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

In the older form of 前, 止 (foot) and 舟 (boat) showed a foot on a boat moving forward; in the current 前 those parts are shortened.

Open 前 →

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