南辕北辙
- Literal
- the chariot shaft pointing south, the wheel tracks running north
- Figurative
- To act in a way that runs directly counter to one's goal, so that effort only takes one further away.
Where does 南辕北辙 come from?
In a tale from the Warring States period, an adviser warns the king of Wei with a parable: he had met a man driving his chariot northward while claiming to be heading for the state of Chu, which lies to the south. The traveler boasted of fine horses, plenty of money and a skilled driver, but the adviser pointed out that the better these advantages were, the further from Chu they would carry him, since he was going the wrong way.
Source (出处): 《战国策》
How is 南辕北辙 used? Two examples
- 你想省钱却买了最贵的，这不是南辕北辙吗？
You wanted to save money but bought the most expensive thing—isn't that heading south with the chariot pointing north?
- 方法不对，再努力也是南辕北辙，离目标越来越远。
With the wrong method, no matter how hard you try you go the opposite way and drift ever further from your goal.
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