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南辕北辙

南辕北辙 nányuánběizhé

南辕北辙 nányuánběizhé Meaning

Learn the Pinyin Pronunciation and 1 English Translations of the word 南辕北辙 nányuánběizhé .

Pīnyīn Pronunciation
nányuánběizhé | nan2 yuan2 bei3 zhe2
English translation
to act in a way that defeats one's purpose (idiom)

Learn the Chinese word 南辕北辙 nányuánběizhé in 6 easy steps:

About 南辕北辙 nányuánběizhé

Read some general information about the Chinese word 南辕北辙 nányuánběizhé .

Traditional form

南轅北轍

Part of speech

Name of a person / 人名 rén míng Rénmíng
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Mandarin Temple

Come for Peace. Stay for Wisdom.

Etymology of 南辕北辙 nányuánběizhé

Familiarize yourself with the origin and historical aspects of the Chinese word 南辕北辙 nányuánběizhé .

Nán

Type

pictographic

Explanation

Depicts the front of a house. In some regions of ancient China, houses were typically built to face the south.

Positional decomposition

shí jiōng 丷干

Number of Strokes

9

yuán

Type

pictophonetic

Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. Chē represents the meaning and yuán represents the sound. Simplified form of yuán .

Phonetic compound

yuán

Semantic compound

Chē

Positional decomposition

车袁

Number of Strokes

14

běi

Type

pictographic

Explanation

Pictograph of two people standing back-to-back. Based on the original meaning "back", now written as bēi . The current meaning "north" is a phonetic loan.

Positional decomposition

⿰?

Number of Strokes

5

chè

Type

ideographic

Positional decomposition

车育攵

Number of Strokes

16

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A Boy and his Dragon

Once upon a time, a Little Boy was living in a village near the woods. One day, a Dragon came out of the cave secluded in the middle of the forest and began to relentlessly follow the Little Boy, always breathing on the back of his neck, burning the young boy at his slightest misstep.

The child received refuge in an old Temple where there were no mirrors allowed, and it was forbidden to speak of life before entering the sanctum. Ancient books, hidden rooms with unimaginable treasures and beauty beyond comprehension, became part of the boy’s new life.

Time went by until, one day, the now old young boy accidentally glimpses his own reflection in a pond. The Dragon smiled back.

Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.

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