📖 Meaning
A metaphor for a mediocre or useless talent. It compares an untalented person to a bitter plum tree growing by the roadside—unwanted and of no value. The idiom conveys self-deprecation or criticism of someone lacking real ability.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from a Tang dynasty poem by Xu Hun (许浑), titled 'Harmonizing with the Prince of Huainan and His Guests Visiting the Guazhou Villa, Inscribed on the Old Study.' The poem contains the line: 'The bitter plum by the roadside still bears fruit, while the sweet tang tree outside the city already casts shade.' Xu Hun uses the image of a neglected, bitter plum tree by the road to symbolize a person of little worth who nonetheless persists, contrasting it with the esteemed sweet tang tree.
💡 Example Usage
他自谦是道傍苦李，难当此等重任。
He humbly likened himself to a bitter plum by the roadside, unfit for such a heavy responsibility.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 道傍苦李
- Pinyin: dào páng kǔ lǐ
- Literal Translation: road, side, bitter, plum
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4