每天成语
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好高骛远

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: hào gāo wù yuǎn
  • English Translation: Aiming too high (unrealistically)
  • Idiom Composition: 「好」（To like or have a preference for (read as 'hào' in this context)）＋「高」（High or lofty things）＋「骛」（To pursue or rush after）＋「远」（Distant or far-off goals）
  • Meaning: To pursue unrealistic or overly ambitious goals without considering one's actual abilities or current situation. It is a critical term used to describe someone who neglects the basics in favor of chasing grand, unattainable achievements.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「好高骛远」 contains the following nuances:

  • Unrealistic Ambition: The core of this idiom is not just having high aspirations, but the negative nuance of having ambitions that far exceed one's current capabilities.
  • Neglecting the Basics: It refers to a shortcut-seeking mindset that dislikes mundane, foundational work in favor of trying to grasp success in one single leap.

3. Usage

「好高骛远」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Advice on work or study: Frequently used when advising students or new employees to master the basics before attempting complex tasks.
    • Example:「年轻人创业要脚踏实地，千万不能好高骛远。」
      （When young people start a business, they should keep their feet on the ground and never aim too high while ignoring reality.)
  • Analyzing failure: Used to point out that a plan failed because the initial goals were detached from reality.
    • Example:「这个项目失败的原因在于由于好高骛远，忽视了市场调研。」
      （The reason this project failed is that they aimed too high and neglected market research.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 学习外语没有捷径，好高骛远只会让你半途而废。
    （There are no shortcuts to learning a foreign language; aiming too high will only lead to giving up halfway.）
  2. 他总是好高骛远，想做大事，却连小事都做不好。
    （He always aims too high and wants to do big things, but he can't even handle the small tasks properly.）
  3. 制定计划时要切合实际，不要好高骛远。
    （When making a plan, you must be realistic and not reach for the stars with unattainable goals.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Source: This idiom originates from the History of Song (宋史), specifically in the biography of the philosopher Cheng Hao (程顥). It describes scholars who 'dislike the humble and near, while rushing toward the high and far.'
  • Confucian Values: In traditional Chinese education, values such as 循序渐进 (xún xù jiàn jìn), meaning 'proceeding step-by-step,' and 脚踏实地 (jiǎo tà shí dì), meaning 'keeping one's feet on solid ground,' are highly esteemed. Therefore, skipping the basics is often viewed as a lack of moral self-cultivation.
  • Common Orthography Error: The character 骛 (wù), meaning 'to pursue,' is frequently confused with the similar-looking 鹜 (wù), which means 'duck.' Even native speakers often make this mistake, but the version with the 'horse' radical (马) is the correct one for this idiom.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

好高骛远 (hào gāo wù yuǎn) is an idiom used to criticize the pursuit of unrealistic goals. It serves as a warning to focus on the fundamentals rather than seeking immediate, grand success without a solid foundation. It is frequently used in both formal writing and daily conversation to advise people to stay grounded.

Idiom Essay

hào gāo wù yuǎn
好高骛远
Aiming Too High
wǒ men我们dōu都yǒu有guò过zhè yàng这样de的shí kè时刻ba吧？

We have all had moments like this, haven't we?

gāng刚kāi shǐ开始xué学yī xiàng一项xīn新jì néng技能，bǐ rú比如huà huà画画huò zhě或者wài yǔ外语，hái还méi没liàn练jǐ tiān几天jī chǔ基础，xīn lǐ心里jiù就yǐ jīng已经zài在huàn xiǎng幻想zì jǐ自己chéng wéi成为dà shī大师de的yàng zi样子le了。

When you start learning a new skill, like painting or a foreign language, and before practicing the basics for even a few days, you are already imagining yourself as a master.

mù biāo目标dìng定dé得hěn很hóng dà宏大，xīn心yě也zǎo jiù早就fēi飞dào到le了zhōng diǎn终点。

The goals are set very grandly, and your heart has already flown to the finish line.

kě shì可是，yí dàn一旦yào要nǐ你zuò xià lái坐下来，qù去chóng fù重复nà xiē那些kū zào枯燥de的、jiǎn dān简单de的liàn xí练习shí时，nǐ你jiù就huì会jué de觉得bù nài fán不耐烦，shèn zhì甚至jué de觉得nà xiē那些xiǎo shì小事pèi bù shàng配不上nǐ你de的xióng xīn zhuàng zhì雄心壮志。

However, once you have to sit down and repeat those boring, simple exercises, you become impatient and even feel that those small tasks are unworthy of your great ambitions.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语zhuān mén专门xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种xīn tài心态，jiào叫“hào gāo wù yuǎn好高骛远”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically for this mindset called 好高骛远.

zhè ge这个cí词de的zì miàn字面yì si意思hěn很yǒu有huà miàn gǎn画面感。

The literal meaning of this word is very vivid.

zhè lǐ这里de的“hǎo好”，shì是xǐ huān喜欢de的yì si意思；“wù骛”，shì是bēn chí奔驰、zhuī qiú追求。

Here, 好 means to like; 骛 means to gallop or pursue.

hé qǐ lái合起来shuō说，jiù shì就是yí gè一个rén人zhǐ只xǐ huān喜欢nà xiē那些gāo gāo zài shàng高高在上de的mù biāo目标，pīn mìng拼命qù去zhuī qiú追求yáo yuǎn遥远de的dōng xī东西。

Put together, it means a person only likes those lofty goals and desperately pursues distant things.

tīng qǐ lái听起来，yǒu有yuǎn dà远大de的lǐ xiǎng理想sì hū似乎bú shì不是huài shì坏事。

It sounds like having grand ideals is not a bad thing.

dàn但zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语，qí shí其实shì是zài在tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们yī zhǒng一种wēi xiǎn危险。

But this idiom is actually reminding us of a danger.

tā它de的hé xīn核心wèn tí问题，bù不zài yú在于nǐ你bǎ把mù biāo目标dìng定dé得yǒu有duō多gāo高，ér而zài yú在于nǐ你shì fǒu是否yīn wèi因为dīng盯zhe着yuǎn fāng远方，ér而kàn bù qǐ看不起jiǎo xià脚下de的lù路。

Its core issue is not how high you set your goals, but whether you look down on the path beneath your feet because you are staring at the distance.

jiù就xiàng像dēng shān登山yī yàng一样。

It is just like climbing a mountain.

rú guǒ如果nǐ你zhǐ gù只顾zhe着tái tóu抬头kàn看shān dǐng山顶de的fēng jǐng风景，bù jǐn不仅róng yì容易shuāi dǎo摔倒，gèng更zhòng yào重要de的shì是，nǐ你huì会jué de觉得měi每yī bù一步dōu都tài太màn慢、tài太wú liáo无聊。

If you only care about looking up at the scenery at the peak, not only is it easy to trip, but more importantly, you will feel that every step is too slow and too boring.

wǒ men我们zhī suǒ yǐ之所以huì会“hào gāo wù yuǎn好高骛远”，wǎng wǎng往往shì是yīn wèi因为jí yú qiú chéng急于求成。

The reason we become 好高骛远 is often because we are too eager for success.

wǒ men我们xiǎng yào想要nà ge那个guāng xiān liàng lì光鲜亮丽de的jié guǒ结果，què却bù xiǎng不想rěn shòu忍受guò chéng过程zhōng中de的píng dàn平淡。

We want that glamorous result but do not want to endure the dullness of the process.

suǒ yǐ所以，zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语bìng并bú shì不是yào要dǎ jī打击nǐ你de的mèng xiǎng梦想。

Therefore, this idiom is not meant to discourage your dreams.

tā它gèng更xiàng像shì是yí gè一个wēn róu温柔de的tí xǐng提醒：zhēn zhèng真正de的yuǎn fāng远方，qí shí其实dōu都shì是yóu由měi每yí gè一个bù qǐ yǎn不起眼de的“xiàn zài现在”lián jiē连接qǐ lái起来de的。

It is more like a gentle reminder: the true distance is actually connected by every unremarkable 'now'.

yào要xiǎng想qù去dào到nà ge那个“gāo高”hé和“yuǎn远”de的dì fāng地方，wéi yī唯一de的bàn fǎ办法，jiù shì就是xiān先zuò做hǎo好yǎn qián眼前zhè这jiàn件kàn shì看似wēi bù zú dào微不足道de的xiǎo shì小事。

If you want to reach that high and distant place, the only way is to first do well in the seemingly insignificant small task in front of you.

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