拔苗助长

bá miáo zhù zhǎng
Literal: "pull seedlings, help growth"

📖 Meaning

To ruin something by rushing it. Trying to speed up a natural process and ending up destroying it.

📜 Origin Story

An impatient farmer pulled his rice seedlings upward to make them grow faster. He returned home exhausted but proud, only to find his seedlings withered the next day.

💡 Example Usage

教育孩子不能拔苗助长。

Don't rush a child's education—pulling seedlings to help them grow only kills them.

🏷️ Category

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🔤 Quick Facts

  • Chinese: 拔苗助长
  • Pinyin: bá miáo zhù zhǎng
  • Literal Translation: pull seedlings, help growth
  • Category: Action
  • Characters: 4