duyện mộc cầu ngư
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Climbing a tree to catch fish — seeking where the sought has never lived.
Literally: climb wood to beg for fish
Sources & notes
Discovered via Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Tục ngữ, cổ ngữ, gia ngôn (Huỳnh Tịnh Của, 1897). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “duyện mộc cầu ngư” mean?
Climbing a tree to catch fish — seeking where the sought has never lived. Literally: climb wood to beg for fish
Is “duyện mộc cầu ngư” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.