刻舟求劍

See also: 刻舟求剑

Chinese

		quarter (hour); (a measure word); to carve quarter (hour); (a measure word); to carve; to engrave; to cut; oppressive	boat	to seek; to look for; to request to seek; to look for; to request; to demand; to beseech	(double-edged) sword
trad. (刻舟求劍)		刻	舟	求	劍
simp. (刻舟求剑)		刻	舟	求	剑
Literally: “notch the boat in search of the sword”.

Etymology

From a story in Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals:

楚人有涉江者，其劍自舟中墜於水。遽契其舟，曰：是吾劍之所從墜。舟止，從其所契者入水求之。舟已行矣，而劍不行。求劍若此，不亦惑乎。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

---

楚人有涉江者，其剑自舟中坠于水。遽契其舟，曰：是吾剑之所从坠。舟止，从其所契者入水求之。舟已行矣，而剑不行。求剑若此，不亦惑乎。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Lü Buwei, Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals, 239 BCE

Chǔ rén yǒu shè jiāng zhě, qí jiàn zì zhōu zhōng zhuì yú shuǐ. Jù qì qí zhōu, yuē: shì wú jiàn zhī suǒ cóng zhuì. Zhōu zhǐ, cóng qí suǒ qì zhě rù shuǐ qiú zhī. Zhōu yǐ xíng yǐ, ér jiàn bù xíng. Qiú jiàn ruò cǐ, bù yì huò hū. [Pinyin]

There was a man from the state of Chu who was crossing a river. His sword fell from the boat into the river. He quickly made a notch on the boat saying, "This is the place where my sword fell in. When the boat stops, I will go into the water and search for my sword from the spot where I made the notch." The boat was already moving, but the sword had not moved. Is it not stupid to search for the sword in this manner?

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): kèzhōuqiújiàn

  (Zhuyin): ㄎㄜˋ ㄓㄡ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄐㄧㄢˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): hak¹ zau¹ kau⁴ gim³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: kèzhōuqiújiàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄎㄜˋ ㄓㄡ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄐㄧㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: kèjhoucióujiàn
    • Wade–Giles: kʻo⁴-chou¹-chʻiu²-chien⁴
    • Yale: kè-jōu-chyóu-jyàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: kehjouchyoujiann
    • Palladius: кэчжоуцюцзянь (kɛčžoucjuczjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɤ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂoʊ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: hak¹ zau¹ kau⁴ gim³
    • Yale: hāk jāu kàuh gim
    • Cantonese Pinyin: hak⁷ dzau¹ kau⁴ gim³
    • Guangdong Romanization: heg¹ zeo¹ keo⁴ gim³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɐk̚⁵ t͡sɐu̯⁵⁵ kʰɐu̯²¹ kiːm³³/

Idiom

刻舟求劍

1. to not know how to adapt to changed conditions; to rigidly cling to an idea or approach without considering the reality of a situation; to stubbornly cling to tradition

   • 似你這樣尋根究底，便是刻舟求劍，膠柱鼓瑟了。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     似你这样寻根究底，便是刻舟求剑，胶柱鼓瑟了。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: c. 1791, Anonymous, Dream of the Red Chamber, Chapter 120 (紅樓夢/第120回)

     Sì nǐ zhèyàng xúngēnjiūdǐ, biànshì kèzhōuqiújiàn, jiāozhùgǔsè le. [Pinyin]

     It seems as though this kind of thorough investigation that you are conducting is like notching a moving boat in order to mark where your sword dropped into the river, you are being inflexible.

   • 文學藝術工作者必須正視我國當前迅速變化的實際，來考察我們過去用慣了的文藝理論，而不能刻舟求劍。 [MSC, trad.]
     文学艺术工作者必须正视我国当前迅速变化的实际，来考察我们过去用惯了的文艺理论，而不能刻舟求剑。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: c. 1900 - 1995: Xia Yan, Unite and advance through liberation thought (解放思想團結前進)

     Wénxué yìshù gōngzuòzhě bìxū zhèngshì wǒguó dāngqián xùnsù biànhuà de shíjì, lái kǎochá wǒmen guòqù yòng guàn le de wényì lǐlùn, ér bùnéng kèzhōuqiújiàn. [Pinyin]

     Workers in the literary arts must squarely face the reality of the rapid changes currently taking place within our country when considering the wellworn theories of the past about literature and art, and must not stubbornly cling to tradition.

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (刻舟求劍):

• → Japanese: 刻(こく)舟(しゅう)求(きゅう)剣(けん) (kokushūkyūken)
• → Korean: 각주구검(刻舟求劍) (gakjugugeom)
• → Vietnamese: khắc chu cầu kiếm (刻舟求劍)

Others:

• → Japanese: (calque) 舟(ふね)に刻(きざ)みて剣(けん)を求(もと)む (fune ni kizamite ken o motomu)

Korean

Hanja in this term
刻	舟	求	劍

Noun

刻舟求劍 • (gakjugugeom) (hangeul 각주구검)

1. Hanja form^? of 각주구검.