📖 Meaning
To act in a way that runs directly counter to one's intended goal. It describes a situation where someone takes actions that guarantee failure because they are fundamentally misdirected, no matter how much effort is invested.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom comes from the Warring States period text "Zhan Guo Ce" (战国策). A man from Wei (魏) wanted to go south to Chu (楚), but his carriage headed north. When a traveler pointed this out, he boasted that his horses were fast, his driver was skilled, and he had plenty of money — none of which mattered because he was going the wrong way. The story illustrates that favorable conditions and resources are useless if one's direction is wrong.
💡 Example Usage
你这样一边说要减肥一边每天吃炸鸡，完全是南辕北辙。
Saying you want to lose weight while eating fried chicken every day is completely counterproductive.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 南辕北辙
- Pinyin: nán yuán běi zhé
- Literal Translation: south carriage, north wheel-ruts
- Category: Logic
- Characters: 4