无的放矢 wú dì fàng shǐ shoot at nothing

Explanation

比喻说话做事没有明确目的，或不切合实际。

A metaphor for speaking or acting without a clear purpose or without reference to reality.

Origin Story

从前，在一个偏远的小村庄里，住着一位名叫李大壮的农夫。李大壮为人善良淳朴，却有一个毛病，那就是喜欢夸夸其谈，却很少行动。村里人经常看到他站在村口，指着远处的田野，信口开河地说：“我要种出世界上最好的粮食！”、“我要盖一座最豪华的房子！”可是，他却从来没有付诸行动，只是空口说白话。 有一天，村里来了一个算命先生，李大壮迫不及待地去请教算命先生，问道：“先生，我以后会成为富翁吗？” 算命先生微微一笑，说道：“你想要成为富翁，就必须付出努力，不能只说空话。就像射箭一样，只有瞄准了目标，才能射中靶心。” 李大壮不以为然，说道：“我不需要瞄准目标，我只要随便射一箭，就能射中靶心！” 算命先生摇了摇头，说道：“你这是无的放矢，没有目标的乱射箭，怎么可能射中靶心呢？” 李大壮不信邪，于是便找来弓箭，在田野里随便射了一箭，结果射歪了，箭落在了泥土里。 算命先生笑着说：“这就是无的放矢的结果，你没有目标，只是一味地乱射，怎么可能射中靶心呢？” 李大壮这才恍然大悟，他终于明白了，要想实现自己的目标，必须付出努力，不能只说不做，否则就会像无的放矢一样，一无所获。

cóng qián, zài yī gè piān yuǎn de xiǎo cūn zhuāng lǐ, zhù zhe yī wèi míng jiào lǐ dà zhuàng de nóng fū. lǐ dà zhuàng wéi rén shàn liáng chún pǔ, què yǒu yī gè máo bìng, jiù shì xǐ huan kuā kuā qí tán, què hěn shǎo xíng dòng. cūn lǐ rén jīng cháng kàn dào tā zhàn zài cūn kǒu, zhǐ zhe yuǎn chù de tián yě, xìn kǒu kāi hé de shuō:“wǒ yào zhòng chū shì jiè shàng zuì hǎo de liáng shí！”、“wǒ yào gài yī zuò zuì háo huá de fáng zi！”kě shì, tā què méi yǒu céng jīng fù zhū xíng dòng, zhǐ shì kōng kǒu shuō bái huà. yǒu yī tiān, cūn lǐ lái le yī gè suàn mìng xiān sheng, lǐ dà zhuàng pò bù jí dài de qù qǐng jiào suàn mìng xiān sheng, wèn dào:“xiān sheng, wǒ yǐ hòu huì chéng wéi fù wēng ma？” suàn mìng xiān sheng wēi wēi yī xiào, shuō dào:“nǐ xiǎng yào chéng wéi fù wēng, jiù bì xū fù chū nǔ lì, bù néng zhǐ shuō kōng huà. jiù xiàng shè jiàn yī yàng, zhǐ yǒu miáo zhǔn le mù biāo, cái néng shè zhòng bǎ xīn.” lǐ dà zhuàng bù yǐ wéi rán, shuō dào:“wǒ bù xū yào miáo zhǔn mù biāo, wǒ zhǐ yào suí biàn shè yī jiàn, jiù néng shè zhòng bǎ xīn！” suàn mìng xiān sheng yáo yáo tóu, shuō dào:“nǐ zhè shì wú dì fàng shǐ, méi yǒu mù biāo de luàn shè jiàn, zěn me kě néng shè zhòng bǎ xīn ne？” lǐ dà zhuàng bù xìn xié, yú shì biàn zhǎo lái gōng jiàn, zài tián yě lǐ suí biàn shè le yī jiàn, jié guǒ shè wāi le, jiàn luò zài ní tǔ lǐ. suàn mìng xiān sheng xiào zhe shuō:“zhè jiù shì wú dì fàng shǐ de jié guǒ, nǐ méi yǒu mù biāo, zhǐ shì yī wèi de luàn shè, zěn me kě néng shè zhòng bǎ xīn ne？” lǐ dà zhuàng cái huǎng rán dà wù, tā zhōng yú liǎo jiě le, yào xiǎng shí xiàn zì jǐ de mù biāo, bì xū fù chū nǔ lì, bù néng zhǐ shuō bù zuò, fǒu zé jiù huì xiàng wú dì fàng shǐ yī yàng, yī wú suǒ huò.

Once upon a time, in a remote village, lived a farmer named Li Dazhuang. Li Dazhuang was a kind and simple man, but he had one flaw: he loved to brag, but rarely acted. Villagers often saw him standing at the village entrance, pointing to the fields in the distance, talking at random: “I will grow the best grain in the world!

Usage

这个成语用来形容说话做事没有目标，不切实际，或盲目行动，没有计划。

zhè ge chéng yǔ yòng lái xíng róng shuō huà zuò shì méi yǒu mù biāo, bù qiè hé shí jì, huò máng mù xíng dòng, méi yǒu jì huà.

This idiom is used to describe speaking or acting without a goal, impracticality, or blind action without a plan.

Examples

• 他的话完全是无的放矢，没有一点实际意义。

  tā de huà wán quán shì wú dì fàng shǐ, méi yǒu yī diǎn shí jì yì yì.

  His words were completely pointless, without any practical significance.

• 不要总是无的放矢，要多做一些实事。

  bù yào zǒng shì wú dì fàng shǐ, yào duō zuò yī xiē shí shì.

  Don't always talk without aim, do more practical things.

• 这种说法太笼统，简直是无的放矢！

  zhè zhǒng shuō fǎ tài lóng tǒng, jiǎn zhí shì wú dì fàng shǐ！

  This statement is too general, it's just pointless!

Related Idioms

• 漫无目的

• 胡言乱语

• 信口开河

Opposite Idioms

• 有的放矢

• 有的放矢