BeginnerChinese Idiom (成语)

刻舟求剑

kè zhōu qiú jiàn

“To mark the boat to find the sword”

Meaning: To be inflexible and fail to adapt to changing circumstances; to use outdated methods to solve new problems

Character-by-Character Breakdown

The Story Behind 刻舟求剑

Source:《吕氏春秋·察今》

Period:Warring States Period (475–221 BCE)

The Sword and the Boat

A man from the state of Chu was crossing a river in a boat.

While on the boat, his sword accidentally fell into the water.

Instead of immediately searching for it, he quickly carved a mark on the side of the boat at the exact spot where the sword had fallen.

He said to himself: "This is where my sword fell. I'll search for it here when the boat stops."

When the boat reached the shore and stopped, the man jumped into the water at the place where he had made the mark.

Of course, he couldn't find the sword because the boat had moved downstream, while the sword remained at the original location in the river.

The man failed to realize that the boat and the mark had moved, but the sword had stayed in the same place in the water.

Original Classical Chinese

楚人有涉江者，其剑自舟中坠于水，遽契其舟，曰："是吾剑之所从坠。"舟止，从其所契者入水求之。舟已行矣，而剑不行，求剑若此，不亦惑乎？

How to Use 刻舟求剑

This idiom is used to criticize people who are inflexible and fail to adapt to changing circumstances.

It emphasizes that methods and solutions must change when situations change, and that using outdated approaches won't work.

The idiom warns against rigid thinking and the failure to recognize that conditions are constantly changing.

When to use:

Use when criticizing inflexible thinking or outdated methods
Often used to emphasize the need to adapt to changing circumstances
Can be used as a warning against rigid approaches to problem-solving

Common Mistake

Don't use this idiom for simple persistence or determination. It specifically refers to being inflexible and using outdated methods that don't adapt to changing circumstances.

Example Sentences

时代变了，你还用老方法解决问题，这就是刻舟求剑。

Shídài biàn le, nǐ hái yòng lǎo fāngfǎ jiějué wèntí, zhè jiùshì kè zhōu qiú jiàn.

Times have changed, but you're still using old methods to solve problems. This is like marking the boat to find the sword.

我们不能刻舟求剑，要根据实际情况调整策略。

Wǒmen bù néng kè zhōu qiú jiàn, yào gēnjù shíjì qíngkuàng tiáozhěng cèlüè.

We can't be inflexible. We need to adjust our strategy according to the actual situation.

他刻舟求剑的做法已经行不通了。

Tā kè zhōu qiú jiàn de zuòfǎ yǐjīng xíng bù tōng le.

His inflexible approach no longer works.

Practice Writing

Generate a free printable worksheet with all 4 characters from this idiom.

Generate Worksheet (4 Characters)

Or explore each character:

刻stroke order 舟stroke order 求stroke order 剑stroke order

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 刻舟求剑 (kè zhōu qiú jiàn) mean?

刻舟求剑 literally means "to mark the boat to find the sword." Figuratively, it means to be inflexible and fail to adapt to changing circumstances, or to use outdated methods to solve new problems.

What is the story behind 刻舟求剑?

The idiom comes from "Lüshi Chunqiu" (吕氏春秋). A man's sword fell into a river from a boat. He marked the boat where it fell, then searched at that mark when the boat stopped. He failed because the boat had moved while the sword stayed in the original location.

How do you use 刻舟求剑 in a sentence?

Use 刻舟求剑 when criticizing inflexible thinking. For example: "时代变了，你还用老方法解决问题，这就是刻舟求剑" (Times have changed, but you're still using old methods. This is like marking the boat to find the sword).

What is the opposite of 刻舟求剑?

The opposite would be idioms like 随机应变 (suí jī yìng biàn, to adapt to circumstances) or 与时俱进 (yǔ shí jù jìn, to keep pace with the times), which emphasize flexibility and adaptation to change.

Is 刻舟求剑 difficult to learn?

刻舟求剑 is considered beginner-friendly. It uses relatively common characters (刻 HSK4, 舟 HSK5, 求 HSK3, 剑 HSK5), has a memorable story, and the meaning is straightforward. It's one of the most commonly taught Chinese idioms.