📖 Meaning
A metaphor for forgetting or discarding the means once the goal has been achieved. The character 荃 (quán) refers to a bamboo fish trap, also written as 筌. It teaches that tools and methods are merely instruments for reaching an end and should not be clung to once their purpose is fulfilled.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Daoist text Zhuangzi (《庄子》), specifically the chapter Wai Wu (外物, 'External Things'), written by the philosopher Zhuangzi (庄子) during the Warring States period. The original passage states: 'The trap exists for the fish; once the fish is caught, the trap is forgotten.' Zhuangzi used the analogy of a bamboo fish trap to illustrate that words and methods are merely tools for conveying meaning—once the meaning is grasped, the tools should be discarded rather than fixated upon. This reflects a core Daoist principle of transcending form to attain essence.
💡 Example Usage
研究学问切忌得鱼忘荃，方法与结论同等重要。
In scholarly pursuit, one must not forget the methods once conclusions are reached; the approach and the result are equally important.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 得鱼忘荃
- Pinyin: dé yú wàng quán
- Literal Translation: catch fish, forget trap
- Category: Philosophy
- Characters: 4