竹篮打水

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: zhú lán dá shuǐ
• English Translation: Drawing water with a bamboo basket (all for nothing)
• Idiom Composition: 「竹篮」（A basket woven from bamboo (which naturally has gaps)）＋「打」（To draw or fetch (water) in this context）＋「水」（Water）
• Meaning: Using a bamboo basket with gaps to draw water results in the water leaking out. It metaphorically describes efforts that are completely in vain, yielding no results despite the hard work put in.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「竹篮打水」 contains the following nuances:

• Structural Futility: Suggests that the failure isn't due to a lack of effort, but because the method or tool used is fundamentally flawed.
• Emptiness of Results: Emphasizes the 'zero' state where nothing remains at the end, highlighting the frustration of wasted time.

3. Usage

「竹篮打水」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Warning or Advice: Used to warn against reckless plans or unrealistic expectations, suggesting they will lead to nothing.
  • Example:「如果不先做市场调查就盲目投资，最后很可能是竹篮打水一场空。」
    （If you invest blindly without doing market research first, it is highly likely that you will end up with nothing.）
• Reflecting on Failure: Used to lament a situation where hard work resulted in zero gain.
  • Example:「忙活了半天，结果客户取消了订单，真是竹篮打水一场空。」
    （After being busy for half a day, the customer canceled the order; it was truly all for nothing.）

Additional Examples:

1. 他追求那个女孩好几年，到头来却是竹篮打水一场空。
   （He pursued that girl for several years, but in the end, it was all in vain.）
2. 别做那些不切实际的梦了，小心竹篮打水一场空。
   （Stop having those unrealistic dreams, or you might find that all your efforts go down the drain.）
3. 所有的准备工作都因为突如其来的暴雨而竹篮打水一场空。
   （All the preparation work came to nothing because of the sudden rainstorm.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Xiehouyu (歇后语): This idiom is a famous example of a Chinese 'two-part allegorical saying.' By saying the first part, 竹篮打水 (zhú lán dá shuǐ), the speaker implies the second part, 一场空 (yī chǎng kōng), which means 'all for nothing' or 'a total waste.'
• Philosophical Context: While it can sometimes relate to the Buddhist concept of the impermanence of wealth and fame, in modern daily life, it is almost exclusively used to describe the failure of specific, practical plans.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 徒劳无功 (tú láo wú gōng): Toil without merit; to exert effort but achieve no results.
  • 劳而无功 (láo ér wú gōng): To work hard but achieve nothing.
  • 枉费心机 (wǎng fèi xīn jī): All efforts are wasted and come to nothing.link
  • 无济于事 (wú jì yú shì): Of no help or avail.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 立竿见影 (lì gān jiàn yǐng): Set up a pole and see its shadow; to get instant results.
  • 事半功倍 (shì bàn gōng bèi): Half the work, double the effect; to be highly efficient.link
  • 如愿以偿 (rú yuàn yǐ cháng): To have one's wish fulfilled.link

6. Summary

竹篮打水 (zhú lán dá shuǐ) describes the act of trying to fetch water with a leaky bamboo basket, symbolizing futile efforts. It is most commonly used in the full phrase 竹篮打水一场空 (zhú lán dá shuǐ yī chǎng kōng), which emphasizes that the final result is 'empty' or 'nothing.' It is often used to lament failed plans or wasted energy.