📖 Meaning
Out of a hundred people, not one is capable or competent. It describes a situation where an entire group is utterly unqualified or unfit for a task. The phrase conveys complete inadequacy across a population.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Biography of Guo Ziyi in the Old Tang Book (旧唐书), a history of the Tang dynasty. Guo Ziyi was a renowned Tang dynasty general who helped suppress the An Lushan Rebellion. He observed that the soldiers of the Six Armies were poorly trained—they were mostly butchers and merchants from the marketplaces who had enlisted in name only to evade taxes. When these troops were driven into battle, not one in a hundred was fit to fight, exposing the hollow state of the military.
💡 Example Usage
这支队伍训练不足，百无一堪，难以承担重任。
This team is poorly trained—not one in a hundred is competent—and can hardly shoulder important responsibilities.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 百无一堪
- Pinyin: bǎi wú yī kān
- Literal Translation: hundred, none, one, competent
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4