CHENGYU
守株待兔(shǒu zhū dài tù)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- literary
- Source:
- 《韩非子·五蠹》
MEANING
- Literal
- to guard a tree stump waiting for rabbits
- Figurative meaning
- to wait idly for luck instead of working
ORIGIN STORY
A farmer of Song saw a rabbit dash into a tree stump and break its neck. He then abandoned his fields and guarded the stump, hoping for more rabbits — none ever came.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“to wait for a windfall”
EXAMPLES
机会不会自己来，我们不能守株待兔。Jīhuì bù huì zìjǐ lái, wǒmen bù néng shǒu zhū dài tù.HSK6
Opportunities will not come by themselves; we cannot just sit and wait.
他不努力找工作，整天守株待兔。Tā bù nǔlì zhǎo gōngzuò, zhěngtiān shǒu zhū dài tù.HSK6
He does not try to find work and just waits for luck all day.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It mocks passive waiting — not patience or strategic waiting.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-14
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01