杯弓蛇影bēi gōng shé yǐngunnecessary suspicions

1. 1.

   unnecessary suspicionsidiom

2. 2.

   overly fearfulidiom

Figurative meaning

Unnecessary suspicions; overly fearful.

Literal meaning

To see a bow reflected in a cup as a snake.

• 杯cup
• 弓a bow (weapon)
• 蛇snake
• 影reflection

The story

A close guest of Yue Guang stopped visiting for a long time. When Yue Guang asked why, he answered that at his last visit he had been given wine, and just as he was about to drink he saw a snake in the cup; he felt deeply disgusted, and after drinking it he fell ill.

杯弓蛇影 can describe someone who reads danger into harmless things.

1. HSK 3

   别杯弓蛇影了，那只是风的声音。

   Bié bēi gōng shé yǐng le, nà zhǐshì fēng de shēngyīn.

   Don't be so jumpy; that's just the sound of the wind.

2. HSK 3

   他最近有点儿杯弓蛇影，看见什么都害怕。

   Tā zuìjìn yǒudiǎnr bēi gōng shé yǐng, kànjiàn shénme dōu hàipà.

   He has been overly fearful lately; whatever he sees scares him.

1. 
   Speaker A:

   外面好像有人！

   Wàimiàn hǎoxiàng yǒu rén!

   It seems someone is outside!

2. 
   Speaker B:

   我去看看。

   Wǒ qù kànkan.

   I'll go and look.

3. 
   Speaker B:

   没有人，是树的影子。

   Méiyǒu rén, shì shù de yǐngzi.

   There's nobody; it's the shadow of a tree.

4. 
   Speaker A:

   原来是我杯弓蛇影了。

   Yuánlái shì wǒ bēi gōng shé yǐng le.

   So I was just scaring myself for nothing.

1. 1.What does 杯弓蛇影 mean?

   AUnnecessary suspicions; overly fearfulBDrinking too muchCBeing good at archery
2. 2.Which sentence uses 杯弓蛇影 correctly?

   A一点儿声音他就害怕，真是杯弓蛇影。B这杯茶很杯弓蛇影。C他杯弓蛇影地吃饭。
3. 3.Which word fits best? 那只是风，你别____了。 (That's only the wind; don't be so jumpy.)

   A杯弓蛇影B井底之蛙C朝三暮四

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Related idioms

• 惊弓之鸟jīng gōng zhī niǎosb who frightens easily, due to past experiencesNot on the HSK 3.0 syllabus
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• 画蛇添足huà shé tiān zúto ruin the effect by adding something superfluousHSK 7–9
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