山
海Shanhai StoryChinese stories for learners
Saved words
Menu
Stories/Chinese folklore/Quenching Thirst with Thoughts of Plums
HSK 3 Chinese reading practice

望梅止渴

wàng méi zhǐ kě

Quenching Thirst with Thoughts of Plums

With no water in sight, Cao Cao tells his thirsty soldiers about a grove of sour plums ahead.

RECOMMENDEDHSK 3
READ2 min
HANZI192
Reading tools
Text size
文化
CULTURE

What does 望梅止渴 mean?

This anecdote comes from the Jiajue chapter of Shishuo Xinyu (A New Account of Tales of the World). It is a literary account of Cao Cao, not a verified campaign report. 望梅止渴 literally means to quench thirst by looking toward plums; today it describes comforting oneself with an imagined or unavailable result. The soldiers imagine the plums before they reach real water. This condensed learning retelling keeps that sequence; the idiom's modern meaning is separate from the narration.

Key vocabulary8 words from this story
Open vocabulary →
阅读理解 · COMPREHENSION

Check your understanding

Answer three questions without looking at the English translation.

01士兵们为什么越走越慢？
02士兵们还没有吃到梅子，为什么嘴里就有了口水？
03故事最后，士兵们喝到水了吗？
0 / 3questions answered
阅读练习完成

You finished the story.

Keep reading at the same level to build speed and confidence.

Chinese idiom guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about 望梅止渴

What does 望梅止渴 mean in English?

望梅止渴 (wàng méi zhǐ kě) literally means “look toward plums to quench thirst.” It describes comforting oneself with an imagined result when the real thing is unavailable.

When is 望梅止渴 used?

Use 望梅止渴 when a thought, picture, or promise offers consolation without actually meeting the need. It can be gently self-mocking; it is not a general synonym for solving a problem. For example: 今年没时间去海边，我只能看看海边的照片，望梅止渴了。 (I have no time to visit the seaside this year, so I can only comfort myself by looking at photos.)

What is the pinyin for 望梅止渴?

The pinyin pronunciation for 望梅止渴 is “wàng méi zhǐ kě.”