📖 Meaning
People are not made of wood or stone. It means that human beings have thoughts and feelings, and can be easily moved by external events, unlike lifeless, senseless, and emotionless trees and stones.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from a letter titled 'Bao Ren Shao Qing Shu' (Letter to Ren Shaoqing) written by Sima Qian, a famous historian of the Han Dynasty. In the letter, Sima Qian lamented his unjust imprisonment and severe punishment, writing that he was 'not made of wood and stone' to endure such suffering alone without anyone to confide in. The letter expressed his deep anguish and the emotional torment he experienced. The phrase has since become a classical way to emphasize that humans possess tender feelings and can be deeply affected by circumstance.
💡 Example Usage
听到老友离世的噩耗，他人非木石，怎能不悲痛万分？
Hearing the news of his old friend's passing, he is only human—how could he not be overcome with grief?
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 人非木石
- Pinyin: rén fēi mù shí
- Literal Translation: person, not, wood, stone
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4