諺語 · a single proverb
落井下石
What does 落井下石 (luò jǐng xià shí) mean?
落井下石 (luò jǐng xià shí) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "throw stones at someone who fell into a well." In use it means: Attacking someone when they are already in trouble; kicking people when they are down. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Snake.
Literally: "throw stones at someone who fell into a well."
The reading
The person in the well does not need a stone. They need a rope. Choosing to throw the stone says nothing about the person in the well and everything about the person holding the stone.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Han Yu 韓愈, Bai Yi 柏矣; folk usage
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Friendship, Trust & Speech, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Snake, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 落井下石 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 落井下石 (luò jǐng xià shí) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Han Yu 韓愈, Bai Yi 柏矣; folk usage. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 落井下石?
In Mandarin it is luò jǐng xià shí. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 落井下石 aloud in Mandarin.