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想方设法

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: xiǎng fāng shè fǎ
  • English Translation: To try every possible means / To think of ways and means
  • Idiom Composition: 「想」（To think, ponder, or consider）＋「方」（A way or method (short for 方法 fāngfǎ)）＋「设」（To set up, devise, or plan）＋「法」（A means or technique）
  • Meaning: To actively brainstorm and employ various methods or strategies to achieve a goal or solve a problem, especially when facing obstacles.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「想方设法」 contains the following nuances:

  • Proactive Attitude: This idiom emphasizes not just the act of thinking, but the active search for actionable solutions and the determination to succeed.
  • Neutral to Positive Nuance: While usually positive (praising someone's resourcefulness), it can be neutral depending on the context. It is rarely used to describe malicious plotting, which is usually reserved for other idioms.

3. Usage

「想方设法」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Problem Solving: Most frequently used when describing the effort to overcome difficulties or obstacles.
    • Example:「为了按时完成项目，团队成员都在想方设法提高效率。」
      （To finish the project on time, the team members are trying every possible means to improve efficiency.)
  • Fulfilling Requests: Used when someone goes out of their way to satisfy a need or realize a wish.
    • Example:「父母总是想方设法满足孩子的愿望。」
      （Parents always try their best to fulfill their children's wishes.)
  • Avoidance or Excuses: Occasionally used in a slightly negative sense to describe someone scheming to avoid responsibility.
    • Example:「他不想去上班，正想方设法找借口请假。」
      （He doesn't want to go to work, so he is racking his brains to find an excuse for leave.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 医生正在想方设法挽救病人的生命。
    （Doctors are doing everything in their power to save the patient's life.）
  2. 不管遇到什么困难，我们都要想方设法去克服。
    （No matter what difficulties we encounter, we must find a way to overcome them.）
  3. 由于资金短缺，公司正在想方设法削减开支。
    （Due to a shortage of funds, the company is trying all sorts of ways to cut expenses.）
  4. 为了买到那场演唱会的门票，粉丝们真是想方设法。
    （To get tickets for that concert, the fans are really pulling out all the stops.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Structure: The idiom is a parallel construction where 想方 (xiǎng fāng) and 设法 (shè fǎ) both mean 'to think of a way,' reinforcing the intensity of the effort through repetition.
  • Comparison: It is very similar to 千方百计 (qiān fāng bǎi jì). However, while 千方百计 (qiān fāng bǎi jì) emphasizes the sheer quantity of methods (literally 'a thousand ways and a hundred plans'), 想方设法 (xiǎng fāng shè fǎ) focuses more on the mental process of devising and testing a solution.
  • Usage: This is a high-frequency expression in modern Chinese, appearing in everything from daily conversation to news reports and business meetings.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

想方设法 (xiǎng fāng shè fǎ) describes the proactive effort of racking one's brains to find a solution. It is a versatile idiom used in both formal and informal contexts to express the idea of 'doing whatever it takes' or 'finding a way' to make something happen.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Pre-Level 1Level 2

Idiom Essay

xiǎng fāng shè fǎ
想方设法
By All Means Possible
shēng huó生活zhōng中，bìng并bú shì不是suǒ yǒu所有de的lù路dōu都shì是bǐ zhí笔直de的。

In life, not all paths are straight.

yǒu shí hòu有时候，wǒ men我们xiǎng yào想要zuò chéng做成yī jiàn一件shì事，què却fā xiàn发现qián miàn前面dǎng挡zhe着yī dǔ一堵qiáng墙。

Sometimes, when we want to achieve something, we find a wall blocking our way.

zhí jiē直接zǒu走guò qù过去xíng bù tōng行不通，yòng lì用力tuī推yě也tuī bù dòng推不动。

Walking straight through doesn't work, and pushing hard doesn't move it either.

zhè ge这个shí hòu时候，dà duō shù大多数rén人kě néng可能huì会xuǎn zé选择fàng qì放弃，jué de觉得“méi bàn fǎ没办法le了”。

At this point, most people might choose to give up, feeling that there is no way out.

dàn但yě也yǒu有yī zhǒng一种rén人，tā men他们bú huì不会tíng xià lái停下来。

But there is another kind of person who will not stop.

rú guǒ如果mén suǒ门锁zhe着，tā men他们huì会qù去zhǎo找chuāng hù窗户；rú guǒ如果chuāng hù窗户guān关zhe着，tā men他们huì会qù去zhǎo找tī zi梯子；rú guǒ如果lián连tī zi梯子yě也méi yǒu没有，tā men他们kě néng可能huì会shì试zhe着wā挖yī tiáo一条dì dào地道。

If the door is locked, they look for a window; if the window is closed, they look for a ladder; if there is no ladder, they might try to dig a tunnel.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种“bù不jiē shòu接受sǐ hú tòng死胡同”de的tài dù态度，jiào叫“xiǎng fāng shè fǎ想方设法”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically used to describe this attitude of refusing to accept a dead end, called 想方设法.

zhè ge这个cí词de的jié gòu结构hěn很yǒu yì si有意思。

The structure of this word is very interesting.

“xiǎng想”hé和“shè设”，shì是dòng cí动词，dài biǎo代表dà nǎo大脑zài在fēi kuài飞快dì地yùn zhuàn运转；ér而“fāng方”hé和“fǎ法”，qí shí其实dōu都shì是“bàn fǎ办法”de的yì si意思。

想 and 设 are verbs, representing the brain working rapidly; while 方 and 法 both mean methods or ways.

bǎ把tā men它们fàng放zài在yì qǐ一起，tīng qǐ lái听起来hǎo xiàng好像yǒu diǎn有点luō suo啰嗦，dàn但zhè这zhèng shì正是zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语de的jīng suǐ精髓——tā它qiáng diào强调de的bú shì不是“zhè这jiù就qù去shì试yī xià一下”，ér shì而是“shì试le了hěn很duō多hěn很duō zhǒng多种kě néng可能”。

Putting them together might sound a bit repetitive, but that is exactly the essence of this idiom—it emphasizes not just trying once, but trying many, many possibilities.

wǒ men我们shén me shí hòu什么时候huì会yòng用dào到“xiǎng fāng shè fǎ想方设法”ne呢？

When do we use 想方设法?

tōng cháng通常shì是zài在miàn duì面对yí gè一个nán tí难题，ér qiě而且nǐ你fēi cháng非常fēi cháng非常xiǎng yào想要jiě jué解决tā它de的shí hòu时候。

Usually when facing a difficult problem that you very much want to solve.

bǐ rú比如，wèi le为了zhǔn shí准时gǎn dào赶到yí gè一个zhòng yào重要de的dì fāng地方，jǐn guǎn尽管lù shàng路上dǔ chē堵车，nǐ你huàn换le了dì tiě地铁，yòu又pǎo跑le了yī duàn一段lù路，zuì hòu最后qí骑le了gòng xiǎng共享dān chē单车，zhè这cái才gǎn dào赶到。

For example, to arrive at an important place on time, despite the traffic jam, you switched to the subway, ran for a while, and finally rode a shared bike to get there.

huò zhě或者，wèi le为了ràng让shēng qì生气de的nǚ péng yǒu女朋友xiào笑chū lái出来，nǐ你jiǎng讲xiào huà笑话、zuò guǐ liǎn做鬼脸、mǎi买lǐ wù礼物，yòng jǐn用尽le了nǐ你nǎo zi脑子lǐ里suǒ yǒu所有de的diǎn zi点子。

Or, to make an angry girlfriend smile, you tell jokes, make funny faces, and buy gifts, using every idea in your head.

qǐng请zhù yì注意，“xiǎng fāng shè fǎ想方设法”hé和“nǔ lì努力”bù不tài太yī yàng一样。

Please note that 想方设法 is not quite the same as working hard.

“nǔ lì努力”kě néng可能zhǐ shì只是nǐ你zài在pīn mìng拼命tuī推nà那shàn扇dǎ bù kāi打不开de的mén门；ér而“xiǎng fāng shè fǎ想方设法”shì是nǐ你zài在sī kǎo思考——chú le除了tuī mén推门，wǒ我hái yǒu还有shén me什么bié de别的lù路kě yǐ可以zǒu走？

Working hard might just be you pushing desperately on that door that won't open; but 想方设法 is you thinking—besides pushing the door, what other paths can I take?

tā它dài biǎo代表le了yī zhǒng一种líng huó灵活de的zhì huì智慧，gèng更dài biǎo代表le了yī zhǒng一种qiáng liè强烈de的jué xīn决心。

It represents a flexible wisdom and, more importantly, a strong determination.

suǒ yǐ所以，xià cì下次dāng当nǐ你kàn dào看到yí gè rén一个人，wèi le为了dá chéng达成mù biāo目标，cháng shì尝试le了gè zhǒng gè yàng各种各样de的shǒu duàn手段，méi yǒu没有yīn wèi因为yī cì一次shī bài失败jiù就tíng xià停下jiǎo bù脚步shí时，nǐ你kě yǐ可以yòng用zhè ge这个cí词lái来xíng róng形容tā他。

So, next time you see someone trying all sorts of means to achieve a goal, not stopping because of a single failure, you can use this word to describe them.

yīn wèi因为zài在tā他yǎn lǐ眼里，méi yǒu没有jiě jué解决bù不le了de的wèn tí问题，zhǐ yǒu只有hái还méi没xiǎng dào想到de的bàn fǎ办法。

Because in their eyes, there are no unsolvable problems, only methods that haven't been thought of yet.

zhè这jiù shì就是“xiǎng fāng shè fǎ想方设法”。

This is 想方设法.

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