📖 Meaning
Qū (曲) means to bend, tū (突) refers to a chimney, xǐ (徙) means to move, and xīn (薪) means firewood—literally, 'to bend the chimney and move the firewood.' It is used as a metaphor for taking measures in advance to prevent potential disasters, rather than only responding after trouble has already occurred.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom comes from the Biography of Huo Guang in the Book of Han (Hanshu), a history compiled during the Eastern Han dynasty. A guest visiting a host's home noticed that the chimney was straight and firewood was piled right beside the stove, so he advised the host to bend the chimney and move the firewood away, warning that a fire might otherwise break out. The host paid no heed. Soon the house did catch fire, and the neighbors helped put it out. When the host later rewarded those who helped, he forgot the very guest who had given the warning—hence the idiom came to symbolize preventing disaster before it happens.
💡 Example Usage
做事应曲突徙薪，提前排查隐患，方能避免灾祸。
One should bend the chimney and move the firewood—address hidden dangers in advance to avert disaster.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 曲突徙薪
- Pinyin: qū tū xǐ xīn
- Literal Translation: bend, chimney, move, firewood
- Category: Method
- Characters: 4