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Stories/Chinese folklore/Pulling Seedlings to Help Them Grow
HSK 3 Chinese reading practice

拔苗助长

bá miáo zhù zhǎng

Pulling Seedlings to Help Them Grow

An impatient farmer pulls every seedling higher, only to learn that growth cannot be forced.

RECOMMENDEDHSK 3
READ4 min
HANZI168
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文化
CULTURE

Growth cannot be forced

拔苗助长 is the common modern form of 揠苗助长, a story recorded in Mencius. The idiom warns that forcing progress too quickly can ruin the very thing we want to help.

Key vocabulary8 words from this story
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Check your understanding

Answer three questions without looking at the English translation.

01农夫为什么很着急？
02他想出了什么办法？
03儿子跑到田里以后看见了什么？
0 / 3questions answered
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Chinese idiom guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about 拔苗助长

What does 拔苗助长 mean in English?

拔苗助长 (bá miáo zhù zhǎng) literally means “pull up seedlings to help them grow.” It describes ruining progress by forcing it to happen too quickly.

When is 拔苗助长 used?

Use 拔苗助长 when impatience or excessive intervention harms natural development. For example: Giving a beginner advanced drills before the basics would be 拔苗助长.

What is the pinyin for 拔苗助长?

The pinyin pronunciation for 拔苗助长 is “bá miáo zhù zhǎng.”