胸有成竹

Chinese

		chest; bosom; heart chest; bosom; heart; mind; thorax	to have; there is; there are to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be	finish; complete; accomplish finish; complete; accomplish; become; turn into; win; succeed; one tenth	bamboo
trad. (胸有成竹)		胸	有	成	竹
simp. #(胸有成竹)		胸	有	成	竹
alternative forms		成竹在胸
Literally: “to have grown an image of bamboo in one's mind (when trying to draw a bamboo plant)”.

Etymology

From a famous prose by 蘇軾 (Sū Shì). See 稍縱即逝／稍纵即逝 (shāozòngjíshì). Alternatively, from a poem by 晁補之 (Cháo Bǔzhī):

與可畫竹時，胸中有成竹。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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与可画竹时，胸中有成竹。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: c. later 11th century, 晁補之,《贈文潛甥楊克一學文與可畫竹求詩》

Yǔkě huà zhú shí, xiōngzhōng yǒu chéng zhú. [Pinyin]

When Wen Tong (courtesy name Yuke) paints bamboo, he always has the bamboo formed in his mind.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiōngyǒuchéngzhú

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄩㄥ ㄧㄡˇ ㄔㄥˊ ㄓㄨˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): hung¹ jau⁵ sing⁴ zuk¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiōngyǒuchéngzhú
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄩㄥ ㄧㄡˇ ㄔㄥˊ ㄓㄨˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: syongyǒuchéngjhú
    • Wade–Giles: hsiung¹-yu³-chʻêng²-chu²
    • Yale: syūng-yǒu-chéng-jú
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiongyeoucherngjwu
    • Palladius: сюнъючэнчжу (sjunʺjučɛnčžu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ʊŋ⁵⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: hung¹ jau⁵ sing⁴ zuk¹
    • Yale: hūng yáuh sìhng jūk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: hung¹ jau⁵ sing⁴ dzuk⁷
    • Guangdong Romanization: hung¹ yeo⁵ xing⁴ zug¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hʊŋ⁵⁵ jɐu̯¹³ sɪŋ²¹ t͡sʊk̚⁵/

Idiom

胸有成竹

1. (figurative) to have a well-thought-out plan; to plan in advance