📖 Meaning
Literally describing tree roots and branches that grow twisted and intertwined. It metaphorically refers to matters that are deeply complex and difficult to untangle. It can also describe a person of unyielding perseverance who withstands hardship.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom traces to the Biography of Yu Xu in the Book of the Later Han (Hou Han Shu). Yu Xu, an Eastern Han official known for his integrity, once remarked that an official's duty is to avoid seeking easy tasks and not shrink from hard ones. He famously said that without encountering twisted roots and knotted joints, how could one distinguish a truly sharp blade — meaning difficulty reveals true capability. His words immortalized the image of gnarled roots as a test of worthy talent.
💡 Example Usage
面对错节盘根的难题，他没有退缩，而是迎难而上。
Faced with the deeply tangled and complex problem, he did not retreat but rose to the challenge.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 错节盘根
- Pinyin: cuò jié pán gēn
- Literal Translation: twisted, joints, coiled, roots
- Category: Perseverance
- Characters: 4