无足重轻 wú zú zhòng qīng insignificant

Explanation

指某事或某人无关紧要，不重要。

Refers to something or someone as unimportant, insignificant.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，有个秀才张三，一心想考取功名，却屡试不第。一次，他听说京城来了位有名的算命先生，便慕名前往求算。算命先生掐指一算，告诉张三：“你今年会遇到一位贵人，助你金榜题名。”张三欣喜若狂，四处打听贵人是谁。他结识了许多达官贵人，但都对他爱理不理。张三为此苦恼不已，直到秋闱大考临近，他依然没有找到这位贵人。张三垂头丧气，准备放弃。这时，一位老友劝慰他：“你如此执着于寻找所谓的贵人，是否本末倒置了？你的学识才是你成功的关键，那位贵人或许只是个比喻，无足重轻。”张三听了朋友一番话，醍醐灌顶，幡然醒悟。他安心复习，最终金榜题名。

huà shuō táng cháo shí qī, yǒu ge xiù cái zhāng sān, yī xīn xiǎng kǎo qǔ gōng míng, què lǚ shì bù dì. yī cì, tā tīng shuō jīng chéng lái le wèi yǒu míng de suàn mìng xiānsheng, biàn mù míng qián wǎng qiú suàn. suàn mìng xiānsheng qiā zhǐ yī suàn, gào sù zhāng sān: "nǐ jīn nián huì yù dào yī wèi guì rén, zhù nǐ jīn bǎng tí míng." zhāng sān xīn xǐ ruò kuáng, sì chù dǎ tīng guì rén shì shuí. tā jié shí le xǔ duō dá guān guì rén, dàn dōu duì tā ài lǐ bù lǐ. zhāng sān wèi cǐ kǔ nǎo bù yǐ, zhì dào qiū wéi dà kǎo lín jìn, tā yī rán méi yǒu zhǎo dào zhè wèi guì rén. zhāng sān chuí tóu sàng qì, zhǔn bèi fàng qì. zhè shí, yī wèi lǎo yǒu quàn wèi tā: "nǐ rú cǐ zhī zhuó yú xún zhǎo suǒ wèi de guì rén, shì fǒu běn mò dǎo zhì le? nǐ de xué shí cái shì nǐ chénggōng de guān jiàn, nà wèi guì rén huò xǔ zhǐ shì ge bǐ yù, wú zú zhòng qīng." zhāng sān tīng le péng you yī fāng huà, tí hú guàn dǐng, fān rán xǐng wù. tā ān xīn fù xí, zuì zhōng jīn bǎng tí míng.

In the Tang Dynasty, there was a scholar named Zhang San who desperately wanted to pass the imperial examinations but failed repeatedly. One day, he heard about a famous fortune-teller in the capital and went to seek his fortune. The fortune-teller predicted, "This year you will meet a noble person who will help you pass the exams." Zhang San was overjoyed and searched everywhere for this noble person. He met many high-ranking officials, but they all ignored him. Zhang San was distraught, and as the autumn exams approached, he still hadn't found this noble person. Feeling dejected, Zhang San was about to give up when an old friend consoled him, "Your obsession with finding this so-called noble person is putting the cart before the horse. Your own knowledge is the key to your success. That noble person is perhaps just a metaphor, ultimately insignificant." Zhang San's eyes opened; he studied diligently and finally passed the exams.

Usage

用于形容某人或某事不重要，无关紧要。

yòng yú xíngróng mǒu rén huò mǒu shì bù zhòngyào, wú guān jǐn yào

Used to describe someone or something as unimportant or insignificant.

Examples

• 这件事对他来说无足重轻，他根本不在乎。

  zhè jiàn shì duì tā lái shuō wú zú zhòng qīng, tā gēn běn bù zài hu.

  This matter is of no importance to him; he doesn't care at all.

• 这次会议的决定对他来说无足重轻，因为他并不参与其中。

  zhè cì huì yì de juédìng duì tā lái shuō wú zú zhòng qīng, yīn wèi tā bìng bù cān yù qí zhōng.

  The decision of this meeting is insignificant to him because he is not involved.

• 对于公司未来的发展规划，他的意见无足重轻，因为他的职位较低。

  duì yú gōngsī wèilái de fāzhǎn guīhuà, tā de yìjiàn wú zú zhòng qīng, yīn wèi tā de zhíwèi jiào dī

  His opinion is irrelevant to the company's future development plan because of his low position.

Related Idioms

• 无足轻重

• 微不足道

Opposite Idioms

• 举足轻重

• 至关重要