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HSK 3 Chinese reading practice

刻舟求剑

kè zhōu qiú jiàn

Marking the Boat to Find a Sword

A traveler marks a moving boat and expects his lost sword to remain beneath the mark.

RECOMMENDEDHSK 3
READ3 min
HANZI112
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文化
CULTURE

The mark moves, but the sword does not

刻舟求剑 comes from the ancient Lüshi Chunqiu. It describes using a fixed method after circumstances have changed—and therefore looking in exactly the wrong place.

Key vocabulary8 words from this story
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阅读理解 · COMPREHENSION

Check your understanding

Answer three questions without looking at the English translation.

01那个人的剑掉到了哪里？
02剑掉下去以后，他马上做了什么？
03他为什么从记号旁边找不到剑？
0 / 3questions answered
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Chinese idiom guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about 刻舟求剑

What does 刻舟求剑 mean in English?

刻舟求剑 (kè zhōu qiú jiàn) literally means “mark the boat to look for a sword.” It describes using a fixed method while ignoring that circumstances have changed.

When is 刻舟求剑 used?

Use 刻舟求剑 when someone follows an old solution even though the situation is no longer the same. For example: Applying last year’s plan to a completely different market would be 刻舟求剑.

What is the pinyin for 刻舟求剑?

The pinyin pronunciation for 刻舟求剑 is “kè zhōu qiú jiàn.”