CHENGYU
郑人买履(zhèng rén mǎi lǚ)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- literary
- Source:
- 《韩非子·外储说左上》
MEANING
- Literal
- the man of Zheng buys shoes
- Figurative meaning
- to cling to rigid rules while ignoring reality
ORIGIN STORY
A man of Zheng measured his foot for a new pair of shoes but left the measurement at home. At the market he refused to try the shoes on — "I trust my measurement more than my own feet" — and went home for it, only to find the market closed.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“to follow the letter and miss the spirit”
EXAMPLES
情况变了还照老规矩办，就是郑人买履。Qíngkuàng biàn le hái zhào lǎo guīju bàn, jiù shì zhèng rén mǎi lǚ.HSK6
Sticking to the old rules after things changed is the man of Zheng buying shoes.
做事要灵活，不能像郑人买履那样死板。Zuòshì yào línghuó, bù néng xiàng zhèng rén mǎi lǚ nàyàng sǐbǎn.HSK6
Be flexible; do not be as rigid as the man of Zheng buying shoes.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It criticizes blind faith in rules over facts — a close relative of 刻舟求剑.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01