買櫝還珠

Chinese

		buy	cabinet; case; casket	pay back; return; also pay back; return; also; in addition; more; still; else; yet; (not) yet	pearl; bead
trad. (買櫝還珠)		買	櫝	還	珠
simp. (买椟还珠)		买	椟	还	珠
Literally: “to buy a wooden box and return the pearls inside”.

Etymology

From Han Feizi, Chapter 32 (《韓非子·外儲說左上》). Originally meant to criticize those who put too much rhetoric into their writings, causing people to be impressed with their words but miss their useful ideas.

楚人有賣其珠於鄭者，爲木蘭之櫝，薰以桂椒，綴以珠玉，飾以玫瑰，輯以翡翠。鄭人買其櫝而還其珠。此可謂善賣櫝矣，未可謂善鬻珠也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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楚人有卖其珠于郑者，为木兰之椟，薰以桂椒，缀以珠玉，饰以玫瑰，辑以翡翠。郑人买其椟而还其珠。此可谓善卖椟矣，未可谓善鬻珠也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Han Feizi, circa 2^nd century BCE, translated based on W. K. Liao's version

Chǔ rén yǒu mài qí zhū yú Zhèng zhě, wéi mùlán zhī dú, xūn yǐ guìjiāo, zhuì yǐ zhūyù, shì yǐ méiguī, jí yǐ fěicuì. Zhèng rén mǎi qí dú ér huán qí zhū. Cǐ kěwèi shàn mài dú yǐ, wèi kěwèi shàn yù zhū yě. [Pinyin]

Once upon a time a man of Chu was selling pearls in Zheng. For the pearls he made magnolia boxes, which he perfumed with cassia spice, bound with beads, decorated them with red gems, and filled harmoniously with the kingfisher's feather. In the long run people in Zheng bought the caskets but returned the pearls. This may be said to be good in selling caskets but cannot be said to be good in trading pearls.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): mǎidúhuánzhū

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄞˇ ㄉㄨˊ ㄏㄨㄢˊ ㄓㄨ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: mǎidúhuánzhū
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄞˇ ㄉㄨˊ ㄏㄨㄢˊ ㄓㄨ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: mǎidúhuánjhu
    • Wade–Giles: mai³-tu²-huan²-chu¹
    • Yale: mǎi-dú-hwán-jū
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: maedwuhwanju
    • Palladius: майдухуаньчжу (majduxuanʹčžu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /maɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tu³⁵ xu̯än³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵⁵/

Idiom

買櫝還珠

1. (figurative) to show poor judgement