📖 Meaning
To have a well-formed plan already in mind before taking action. It describes someone who has thought things through and made up their mind, so they can proceed with confidence and composure. The idiom emphasizes preparation and a settled strategy rather than improvisation.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom is a variant of the better-known 胸有成竹 (having bamboo in one's chest). The original story comes from the Northern Song Dynasty and concerns the painter Wen Tong (文同), famed for his bamboo paintings. His friend and brother-in-law Su Shi (苏轼) wrote that before Wen Tong lifted his brush, a complete image of the bamboo already existed in his mind. In 胸有成算, the bamboo (竹) is replaced by 算 (plan or calculation), shifting the emphasis from a mental image to a ready-made strategy or decision.
💡 Example Usage
面对这次谈判，他胸有成算，从容地回答了每一个问题。
Facing this negotiation, he already had a well-formed plan in mind and calmly answered every question.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 胸有成算
- Pinyin: xiōng yǒu chéng suàn
- Literal Translation: chest, has, ready, plan
- Category: Determination
- Characters: 4