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shǒu 守 zhū 株 dài 待 tù 兔

守株待兔 shǒu zhū dài tù

to wait idly for a windfall; to trust to luck instead of effort

Literally: guard stump await rabbit

Intermediate 🐉 Animals & fables
🃏 Practise intermediate chengyu

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Origin

From the Han Feizi: a farmer saw a rabbit break its neck on a tree stump, then abandoned his plough to wait by the stump for another, and became a laughing-stock.

How to use it

Predicate or attributive; negative. Often 不能守株待兔.

Example sentences

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  1. 找工作不能守株待兔，要主动去联系公司。
    Zhǎo gōngzuò bù néng shǒu zhū dài tù, yào zhǔdòng qù liánxì gōngsī.
    You can't just sit and wait for a job to come; you have to contact companies yourself.
    find job not can guard stump await rabbit, must actively go contact company
  2. 他天天在家等好运，这不是守株待兔吗？
    Tā tiāntiān zài jiā děng hǎoyùn, zhè bù shì shǒu zhū dài tù ma?
    He waits at home for good luck every day; isn't that waiting by the stump for a rabbit?
    he every-day at home wait good-luck, this not is guard stump await rabbit (question-particle)

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