刻舟求劍
简 刻舟求剑 · 繁 刻舟求劍Meanings
- lit. a notch on the side of a boat to locate a sword dropped overboard (idiom); fig. an action made pointless by changed circumstances
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Mandarin tones
4–1–2–4 · ke4 zhou1 qiu2 jian4
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
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Read this spelling in Classical texts
Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.
刻舟求劍 · find source passages ↗ · 刻舟求剑 · find source passages ↗
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Rime Cantonese 粵拼
hak1 zau1 kau4 gim3
Cantonese word readings for 刻舟求劍. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
phrase
- (idiomatic) to not know how to adapt to changed conditions; to rigidly cling to an idea or approach without considering the reality of a situation; to stubbornly cling to tradition
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
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