拔苗助长bá miáo zhù zhǎngto spoil things through excessive enthusiasm

1. 1.

   to spoil things through excessive enthusiasmidiom

Figurative meaning

To spoil things through excessive enthusiasm.

Literal meaning

To pull up seedlings to help them grow.

• 拔to pull up
• 苗young plant; seedling
• 助to help
• 长to grow

The story

A man of Song, worried that his seedlings were not growing, pulled them up and went home worn out.

拔苗助长 can describe pushing someone, often a child or learner, too hard too fast.

1. HSK 2

   学习要慢慢来，不能拔苗助长。

   Xuéxí yào mànmàn lái, bù néng bá miáo zhù zhǎng.

   Learning takes time; you can't spoil it by pushing too hard.

2. HSK 4

   父母让孩子每天练习十个小时，这是拔苗助长。

   Fùmǔ ràng háizi měi tiān liànxí shí gè xiǎoshí, zhè shì bá miáo zhù zhǎng.

   The parents make their child practise ten hours a day; that is spoiling things through too much enthusiasm.

1. 
   Speaker A:

   我想让我弟弟一个月学会游泳。

   Wǒ xiǎng ràng wǒ dìdi yí gè yuè xuéhuì yóuyǒng.

   I want my little brother to learn to swim in one month.

2. 
   Speaker B:

   他每天练习多长时间？

   Tā měi tiān liànxí duō cháng shíjiān?

   How long does he practise every day?

3. 
   Speaker A:

   五个小时。

   Wǔ gè xiǎoshí.

   Five hours.

4. 
   Speaker B:

   太多了，这是拔苗助长。

   Tài duō le, zhè shì bá miáo zhù zhǎng.

   That's too much; you'll spoil it by pushing too hard.

1. 1.What does 拔苗助长 mean?

   ATo spoil things through excessive enthusiasmBTo plant a gardenCTo help someone patiently
2. 2.Which sentence uses 拔苗助长 correctly?

   A学习不能拔苗助长。B这个苹果很拔苗助长。C我拔苗助长地睡觉。
3. 3.Which word fits best? 孩子学东西要慢慢来，不能____。 (Children need time to learn; you can't push too hard.)

   A拔苗助长B杞人忧天C南辕北辙

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Related idioms

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• 一箭双雕yī jiàn shuāng diāoto kill two birds with one stoneNot on the HSK 3.0 syllabus
• 一见钟情yī jiàn zhōng qíngto fall in love at first sightNot on the HSK 3.0 syllabus
• 三顾茅庐sān gù máo lúto make earnest and repeated requests of sbNot on the HSK 3.0 syllabus
• 不遗余力bù yí yú lìto spare no pains or effort (idiom); to do one's utmostNot on the HSK 3.0 syllabus

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