📖 Meaning
A metaphor for being rigidly stubborn and refusing to adapt to changing circumstances. It describes someone who clings to old ways and refuses to be flexible. The image is of gripping something with a fixed, immovable hold.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in modern vernacular Chinese literature, notably in Lao She's novel 'Rickshaw Boy' (《骆驼祥子》). It is not tied to a specific historical anecdote or classical text. The expression draws on the physical image of gripping something tightly and refusing to let go, extended metaphorically to describe an inflexible mindset. It is primarily used in colloquial northern Chinese speech.
💡 Example Usage
他干什么事都一把死拿，从不肯听取别人的意见。
He does everything in a stubbornly rigid way and never listens to others' opinions.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 一把死拿
- Pinyin: yī bǎ sǐ ná
- Literal Translation: one, handful, dead, grasp
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4