📖 Meaning
To wait for the right opportunity while staying in one's proper place. It describes the attitude of being patient and accepting one's circumstances when conditions are unfavorable, rather than acting rashly in pursuit of success.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Yuan dynasty playwright Guan Hanqing's play "Pei Du Returns the Belt" (裴度还带), first act. In the play, the protagonist laments his lack of success and reflects that when one has not yet achieved one's goals, one should wait patiently for the right moment and keep to one's proper station. The phrase captures the traditional Chinese virtue of enduring hardship with dignity while awaiting the right time to rise. Guan Hanqing was one of the most celebrated dramatists of the Yuan dynasty.
💡 Example Usage
他暂时待时守分，等待合适的时机再大展宏图。
He bides his time and keeps to his place for now, waiting for the right moment to realize his grand ambitions.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 待时守分
- Pinyin: dài shí shǒu fèn
- Literal Translation: wait, time, keep, one's lot
- Category: Wisdom
- Characters: 4