📖 Meaning
To shave the corners off a square block to make it round. It metaphorically means abandoning one's upright, principled nature in order to conform to worldly conventions and curry favor with others.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from 'Huai Sha' (Embracing Sand), a poem in the 'Jiu Zhang' (Nine Declarations) section of the Chuci (Songs of Chu), written by the Warring States period poet Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan lamented that slanderers at court had exiled him and tried to force him to change his steadfast ways. The Han dynasty scholar Wang Yi's commentary explains the metaphor: just as one might pare a square piece of wood to make it round, the slanderers sought to make Qu Yuan abandon his upright conduct. The character 圜 (yuán) is interchangeable with 圆 (round).
💡 Example Usage
他宁可辞官归隐，也不愿刓方为圆，迎合世俗。
He would rather resign his post and live in seclusion than shave his square into a round, bending his principles to flatter the worldly.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 刓方为圆
- Pinyin: shū fāng wéi yuán
- Literal Translation: shave, square, make, round
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4