DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

騎驢找驢

简骑驴找驴 · 繁騎驢找驢

Mandarin · pinyin qí lǘ zhǎo lǘ

lit. to search for the mule while riding on it (idiom)
fig. to look for what one already has

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Characters in this entry

騎: Look up this written character
驢: Look up this written character
找: zhǎo · search, seek, look for; find
骑: qí · ride horseback; mount; cavalry
驴: lǘ · donkey, ass

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–2–3–2 · qi2 lu:2 zhao3 lu:2

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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.

騎驢找驢 · find source passages ↗ · 骑驴找驴 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(figurative) to look for something right under one's nose

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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