4 characters Idiom and proverb 29 558

After learning basic characters, the next level in Chinese is combining them into words, and then idioms. This free guide helps you understand advanced idioms like 「蠖屈求伸」. Meaning and usage are below.

Learn about the idiom 「蠖屈求伸」: its definition and how it’s used are detailed here.

Caterpillar: The name of an insect that flexes and stretches its body when walking. It is a metaphor that when people are out of luck, they should humble themselves and hide themselves away, waiting for the day when they can realize their ambitions.

The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :

huò qū qiú shēn

while its Cantonese pinyin is :

wok6 wat1 kau4 san1

There’s no shortage of Chinese idioms, each offering unique meanings and ways to use them. This guide is here to assist you as you improve your understanding of the language.