諺語 · a single proverb
著金見肘
Simplified: 捉襟见肘
What does 著金見肘 (zhuō jīn jiàn zhǒu) mean?
著金見肘 (zhuō jīn jiàn zhǒu) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "pulling the collar exposes the elbow." In use it means: Resources so stretched that covering one need uncovers another; perpetual shortage where solving one problem creates another. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Goat.
Literally: "pulling the collar exposes the elbow."
The reading
Patch the collar and the elbow shows through. Patch the elbow and the hem tears. Some situations are not about fixing the garment. They are about admitting the garment is too small and you need a new one. Incremental repairs on a fundamentally undersized resource are indefinitely expensive. Recognize when the solution is not another patch.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Zhuangzi 莊子, Rang Wang 讓王
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 Adversity & Resilience, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 著金見肘 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 著金見肘 (zhuō jīn jiàn zhǒu) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Zhuangzi 莊子, Rang Wang 讓王. 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 著金見肘?
In Mandarin it is zhuō jīn jiàn zhǒu. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 著金見肘 aloud in Mandarin.