📖 Meaning
Chickens and ducks fighting over food. A metaphor for petty, mediocre people competing with one another for fame and profit, rather than pursuing noble ideals. The phrase conveys contempt for such base, self-serving rivalry.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from 'Bu Ju' (《卜居》, 'Divination') by Qu Yuan (屈原), the great poet of the Chu state during the Warring States period. Exiled and facing moral dilemmas, Qu Yuan consults a diviner, asking whether he should soar alongside the yellow swan (a symbol of lofty aspiration) or join chickens and ducks in fighting over food. The diviner replies that such choices cannot be divined and must come from the heart. Through this contrast, Qu Yuan expresses his refusal to lower himself to the petty squabbles of corrupt court officials.
💡 Example Usage
那些小人整日鸡鹜争食，只为争夺一点微薄的利益。
Those petty people spend their days fighting like chickens and ducks over food, scrabbling for meager gains.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 鸡鹜争食
- Pinyin: jī wù zhēng shí
- Literal Translation: chicken, duck, fight, food
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4