胸有成竹

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: xiōng yǒu chéng zhú
• English Translation: Having a well-formed plan or idea in mind; being confident and well-prepared
• Idiom Composition: 「胸」（Chest, in one's mind）＋「有」（To have, to possess）＋「成」（Completed, formed）＋「竹」（Bamboo）
• Meaning: Having a clear and well-formed plan or vision in mind before taking action. Originating from a historical story, it refers to being well-prepared and confident of success.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「胸有成竹」 contains the following nuances:

• Thorough preparation: Indicates that sufficient preparation and planning have been made in advance.
• Confidence: Shows an attitude of approaching matters with confidence due to a clear outlook.
• Certain outlook: Means having a firm belief in the likelihood of success.
• Careful consideration: Implies that the plan is not a mere impulse but a deeply thought-out strategy.

3. Usage

「胸有成竹」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Emphasizing the certainty of a plan: Used to emphasize that a project or negotiation has been carefully planned.
  • Example:「他对这个项目胸有成竹，一定会成功的。」
    （He has a well-formed plan for this project and will surely succeed.）
• Expressing a confident attitude: Used to describe someone approaching exams or competitions with confidence.
  • Example:「考试前，她一副胸有成竹的样子。」
    （Before the exam, she looked confident and well-prepared.）
• Highlighting the importance of preparation: Used to emphasize the importance of thorough preparation before starting something.
  • Example:「做任何事都要做到胸有成竹，这样才能事半功倍。」
    （You should be well-prepared for everything you do; this way, you can achieve twice the result with half the effort.）

Additional Examples:

1. 演讲之前，他显得胸有成竹，对所有问题都对答如流。
   （Before the presentation, he appeared well-prepared and answered all questions confidently.）
2. 凭着多年的经验，他对这个问题的解决方案早已胸有成竹。
   （With years of experience, he already had a clear plan to solve this problem.）
3. 他要开创一番新事业，看起来胸有成竹。
   （He looked full of confidence as he was about to start a new business.）
4. 关于如何渡过这个难关，她早已胸有成竹。
   （She already had a well-thought-out plan on how to overcome this difficulty.）
5. 他对成功完成这个项目的策略胸有成竹。
   （He had a clear strategy for successfully completing this project.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• '胸有成竹' originates from a story about Wen Tong, a Northern Song dynasty painter, who had a perfect image of bamboo in his mind before painting it. This reflects the important Chinese artistic concept of 'intention before brushwork.'
• It is closely related to the idea of 'preparing for a rainy day' (未雨綢繆), emphasizing the importance of preparation before events occur in Chinese culture.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 成竹在胸 (chéng zhú zài xiōng): Has almost the same meaning as '胸有成竹', referring to having a completed image of bamboo in one's mind, symbolizing confidence and a well-formed plan.
  • 有备无患 (yǒu bèi wú huàn): Means that if you are prepared in advance, you will have no worries when the time comes. Similar to 'being prepared is no cause for worry.'
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 手忙脚乱 (shǒu máng jiǎo luàn): Describes a state of panic and confusion due to lack of preparation or inexperience.
  • 措手不及 (cuò shǒu bù jí): Describes being caught off guard by a sudden event, with no time to respond.

6. Summary

'胸有成竹' is an idiom that means having a plan or outlook based on deep insight and thorough preparation, rather than a mere impulse. Using this phrase expresses an attitude full of confidence and certainty. Understanding the importance of preparation in Chinese art and culture will help you grasp this idiom more deeply and use it effectively.