📖 Meaning
To have a well-thought-out plan or a clear picture in mind before taking action. It describes someone who is fully prepared and confident because they have already envisioned the desired outcome.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom comes from the Song Dynasty painter Wen Tong (文同), who was renowned for his bamboo ink paintings. According to Su Shi's writings, Wen Tong would observe bamboo carefully in all seasons and conditions until he could picture the entire bamboo in his mind before ever lifting his brush. Su Shi praised him by saying that when Wen Tong painted bamboo, he already had the complete image of bamboo in his chest.
💡 Example Usage
面对这场复杂的谈判，他早已胸有成竹，提出的方案让所有人都信服。
Facing this complex negotiation, he already had a well-thought-out plan, and the proposal he put forward convinced everyone.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 胸有成竹
- Pinyin: xiōng yǒu chéng zhú
- Literal Translation: chest, have, complete, bamboo
- Category: Determination
- Characters: 4