草船借箭cǎo chuán jiè jiànto use others' manpower and resources for one's own ends

1. 1.

   to use others' manpower and resources for one's own endsidiom

Figurative meaning

To use others' manpower and resources for one's own ends.

Literal meaning

Using straw boats to borrow arrows.

• 草straw
• 船boat
• 借to borrow
• 箭arrow

The story

On both sides of the twenty boats, the bundles of straw were packed full of arrows.

草船借箭 can describe a clever plan that gets help or resources from someone else.

1. HSK 4

   他用别人的钱做自己的生意，真是草船借箭。

   Tā yòng biérén de qián zuò zìjǐ de shēngyi, zhēn shì cǎo chuán jiè jiàn.

   He uses other people's money to run his own business; it really is using others' resources for his own ends.

2. HSK 3

   小公司用大公司的方法，这是草船借箭。

   Xiǎo gōngsī yòng dà gōngsī de fāngfǎ, zhè shì cǎo chuán jiè jiàn.

   The small company uses the big company's methods; this is using others' resources for its own ends.

1. 
   Speaker A:

   我没有钱买书。

   Wǒ méiyǒu qián mǎi shū.

   I don't have money to buy books.

2. 
   Speaker B:

   你可以借朋友的书看。

   Nǐ kěyǐ jiè péngyou de shū kàn.

   You can borrow your friend's books to read.

3. 
   Speaker A:

   好主意！

   Hǎo zhǔyi!

   Good idea!

4. 
   Speaker B:

   这就是草船借箭。

   Zhè jiù shì cǎo chuán jiè jiàn.

   That's using others' resources for your own ends.

1. 1.What does 草船借箭 mean figuratively?

   ATo use others' resources for one's own endsBTo build a boatCTo lose all one's arrows
2. 2.Which sentence uses 草船借箭 correctly?

   A他用别人的钱做自己的生意，真是草船借箭。B这条船很草船借箭。C他草船借箭地睡觉。
3. 3.Which word fits best? 小公司用大公司的方法，这是____。 (The small company uses the big company's methods.)

   A草船借箭B塞翁失马C对牛弹琴

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