📖 Meaning
A blind person holding a candle to light the way. It metaphorically refers to an action or effort that is completely useless and serves no purpose, since the light cannot help someone who cannot see.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Qing dynasty novel 《野叟曝言》by Xia Jingqu, chapter 75. In the original passage, scholars fiercely debated whether Chen Shou's 'Records of the Three Kingdoms' (三国志) improperly legitimized the Wei dynasty over Shu. The author dismissed these critics' arguments as being like a blind person holding a candle — illuminating nothing and accomplishing nothing. The metaphor underscores that their discussions were entirely futile.
💡 Example Usage
他对音乐一窍不通，却要去指导乐团排练，简直是盲人把烛。
He knows nothing about music, yet he tries to direct the orchestra's rehearsal — it's like a blind person holding a candle.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 盲人把烛
- Pinyin: máng rén bǎ zhú
- Literal Translation: blind, person, holds, candle
- Category: Action
- Characters: 4