CHENGYU
百步穿杨(bǎi bù chuān yáng)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- literary
- Source:
- 《史记·周本纪》
MEANING
- Literal
- to pierce a willow leaf from a hundred paces
- Figurative meaning
- superb marksmanship or precision
ORIGIN STORY
Yang Youji of Chu was so fine an archer that from a hundred paces away he could hit a chosen willow leaf every time. The feat became the standard metaphor for supreme skill and precision.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“a dead shot”
EXAMPLES
他射击比赛百步穿杨，拿了金牌。Tā shèjī bǐsài bǎi bù chuān yáng, ná le jīnpái.HSK6
He pierced the willow leaf in the shooting match and took the gold.
传球百步穿杨，队友轻松得分。Chuán qiú bǎi bù chuān yáng, duìyǒu qīngsōng défēn.HSK6
His pass pierced the willow leaf and his teammate scored with ease.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: Used mostly for physical precision; 百发百中 works for any field.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01