百步穿楊

Chinese

hundred
a step; a pace; walk
a step; a pace; walk; march; stages in a process
 
to bore through; pierce; perforate
to bore through; pierce; perforate; penetrate; pass through; to dress; to wear; to put on; to thread
 
surname; poplar
trad. (百步穿楊) 穿
simp. (百步穿杨) 穿
Literally: “to shoot an arrow through a willow leaf at a hundred paces; to split a willow wand at a hundred paces”.

Etymology

From the story of the archer 養由基 (Yang Youji) as recorded in Zhan Guo Ce. The original version used (liǔ) (see 百發百中百发百中 (bǎifābǎizhòng)), whereas in later version it became (yáng):

養由基,百發百中可謂百步之內未知 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
养由基,百发百中可谓百步之内未知 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: 162 BCE, 枚乘,上書諫吳王, translated by Stephen Owen
Yǎng Yóujī, Chǔ zhī shàn shè zhě yě, qù yángbǎi bù, bǎifābǎizhòng. Yángyè zhī dà, jiā bǎizhòng yān, kěwèi shàn shè yǐ. Rán qí suǒ zhǐ, bǎibù zhīnèi ěr, bǐ yú chén Shèng/Chéng, wèi zhī cāo gōng chí shǐ yě. [Pinyin]
Yang You-ji was the expert archer of Chu. He went a hundred paces from a willow leaf, in a hundred shots hit it a hundred times. Considering the size of a willow leaf, to hit it a hundred times can be considered expert archery indeed. Nevertheless, the point where he stopped was still but a hundred paces. Compared to your retainer Sheng [or Cheng, uncertain], he didn't know even how to hold a bow and arrows!

Pronunciation


Idiom

百步穿楊

  1. (figurative, of archery, gun shooting, basketball, etc.) to shoot with great precision