从前，有一个人坐船过河。
Long ago, a man crossed a river by boat.
他的剑掉到水里了。
His sword fell into the water.
他一点也不着急。
He was not worried at all.
他在船边画了一个记号。
He made a mark on the side of the boat.
他说：“剑是从这里掉下去的。”
He said, "This is where the sword fell in."
船到了河的那边。
The boat reached the other side of the river.
他从记号那里跳进水里找剑。
He jumped into the water at the mark to look for the sword.
可是他怎么找也找不到。
But no matter how he looked, he could not find it.
别人笑他：“船走了，剑没有走啊！”
People laughed at him: "The boat moved, but the sword didn't!"
这个成语是“刻舟求剑”。
This idiom is "marking the boat to find the sword."
意思是：事情变了，方法也要变。
It means: when things change, your way of doing things must change too.
例句：不要刻舟求剑，要想新的办法。
Example: Don't mark the boat to find the sword — think of a new way.
Hover a word for its pinyin & meaning; click to pin it.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 从前 | cóng qián | in the past; once upon a time |
| 有 | yǒu | to have; there is, there are |
| 一个人 | yī gè rén | by oneself (without assistance); alone (without company) |
| 坐 | zuò | to sit; to take (a bus, etc.) |
| 船 | chuán | boat; ship |
| 过河 | guò hé | cross the river |
| 他的 | tā de | His |
| 剑 | jiàn | sword |
| 掉 | diào | to fall; to drop |
| 到 | dào | to arrive; to reach |
| 水里 | shuǐ lǐ | Shuili Township in Nantou County 南投縣|南投县[Nan2 tou2 Xian4], central Taiwan |
| 了 | le | (particle indicating completed action or change of state) |
| 他 | tā | he; him |
| 一点 | yī diǎn | a bit; a little; (in negative sentences) not at all; one o'clock |
| 也 | yě | also |
| 不 | bù | no; not |
| 着急 | zháo jí | to worry; to be anxious |
| 在 | zài | to be (located); at; in |
| 边 | biān | side; edge |
| 画 | huà | to draw; to paint; picture; painting |
| 一个 | yī ge | a; an; one; the whole (afternoon, summer vacation etc) |
| 记号 | jì hao | mark; symbol; notation |
| 他说 | tā shuō | he says |
| 是 | shì | to be; correct |
| 从 | cóng | from |
| 这里 | zhè lǐ | here |
| 下去 | xià qù | to go down; to continue |
| 的 | de | possessive particle |
| 到了 | dào liǎo | at last; finally; in the end |
| 河 | hé | river |
| 那边 | nà bian | over there; that side |
| 那里 | nà li | there |
| 跳进 | tiào jìn | to plunge into; to jump into |
| 找 | zhǎo | to look for; to seek |
| 可是 | kě shì | but; however |
| 怎么 | zěn me | how?; what? |
| 找不到 | zhǎo bù dào | can't find |
| 别人 | bié ren | other people; others |
| 笑 | xiào | to laugh; to smile |
| 走了 | zǒu le | left; departed |
| 没有 | méi yǒu | don't have; haven't |
| 走 | zǒu | to walk; to go |
| 啊 | ā | Ah!; interjection expressing surprise or agreement |
| 这个 | zhè ge | (pronoun) this; (adjective) this |
| 成语 | chéng yǔ | idiom; set expression |
| 刻舟求剑 | kè zhōu qiú jiàn | an action rendered futile by changed circumstances (idiom) |
| 意思 | yì si | meaning; idea |
| 事情 | shì qing | matter; affair; thing |
| 变 | biàn | to change; to transform |
| 方法 | fāng fǎ | method; way; means |
| 要 | yào | to want; will |
| 例句 | lì jù | example sentence |
| 不要 | bù yào | don't; must not |
| 想 | xiǎng | to think; to want |
| 新的 | xīn de | new |
| 办法 | bàn fǎ | method; way |