📖 Meaning
A small vessel fills up easily. Originally referring to someone with a low tolerance for alcohol, the phrase now serves as a metaphor for a person of narrow mind who is quickly satisfied and prone to conceit over minor accomplishments.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom traces back to the Han dynasty, appearing in a letter titled 'Letter to the Crown Prince of Wei from Yuancheng' written by the scholar Wu Zhi. In the letter, Wu Zhi remarked that 'a small vessel fills easily and is the first to become intoxicated,' using the analogy of a small container to characterize someone of limited capacity. Over time, the phrase was adopted into common usage as a metaphor for narrow-minded individuals who become complacent and arrogant after achieving even slight success.
💡 Example Usage
他器小易盈，刚取得一点成绩就到处炫耀。
He is like a small vessel that fills easily — he shows off everywhere as soon as he achieves the slightest success.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 器小易盈
- Pinyin: qì xiǎo yì yíng
- Literal Translation: vessel, small, easy, fill
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4