量体裁衣 liàng tǐ cái yī to measure one's body and cut the cloth accordingly

Explanation

比喻做事要根据实际情况，不能机械照搬。

It is a metaphor for the necessity of adapting to the actual situation when doing things, and not simply mechanically following a set pattern.

Origin Story

南朝时，齐武帝萧赜非常赏识张融的才华，但是张融为人比较清高，不愿阿谀奉承。有一天，齐武帝派人送了一件旧衣服给张融，并说：“这件衣服是我以前穿的，现在派人把它改改，一定合你的身。”张融收到衣服后，非常感动，他知道皇帝这是在关心他，体恤他。于是，他立即命人将衣服改做，并亲自试穿，发现衣服非常合身。张融深受感动，从此更加努力为国家效力。这个故事告诉我们，做事要根据实际情况，不能生搬硬套，要量体裁衣。

Náncháo shí, Qí Wǔdì Xiāo Zé fēicháng shǎngshí Zhāng Róng de cáihua, dànshì Zhāng Róng wéirén bǐjiào qīnggāo, bùyuàn āyú fèngchéng. Yǒuyītiān, Qí Wǔdì pài rén sòng le yījiàn jiù yīfu gěi Zhāng Róng, bìng shuō: “Zhè jiàn yīfu shì wǒ yǐqián chuān de, xiànzài pài rén bǎ tā gǎigǎi, yīdìng hé nǐ de shēn.” Zhāng Róng shōudào yīfu hòu, fēicháng gǎndòng, tā zhīdào huángdì zhè shì zài guānxīn tā, tǐxù tā. Yúshì, tā lìjí mìng rén jiāng yīfu gǎizuò, bìng qīnzì shì chuān, fāxiàn yīfu fēicháng héshēn. Zhāng Róng shēnshòu gǎndòng, cóngcǐ gèngjiā nǔlì wèi guójiā xiàolì. Zhège gùshì gàosù wǒmen, zuòshì yào gēnjù shíjì qíngkuàng, bù néng shēngbānyìngtào, yào liàngtǐcáiyī.

During the Southern Dynasties, Emperor Xiao Zhe of Qi greatly appreciated Zhang Rong's talent, but Zhang Rong was rather aloof and unwilling to flatter. One day, Emperor Xiao Zhe sent someone to give Zhang Rong an old piece of clothing, saying, "This piece of clothing I wore before, now I'll have someone alter it, it will definitely fit you." Upon receiving the clothing, Zhang Rong was deeply moved. He understood that the Emperor was concerned about him and caring for him. Thus, he immediately ordered someone to alter the clothing, and personally tried it on, finding that it fit perfectly. Zhang Rong was deeply touched, and from then on worked even harder for the country. This story tells us that in doing things, we must consider the actual situation, not blindly follow routines, and should tailor things accordingly.

Usage

用来比喻做事要根据具体情况，灵活处理，不能刻板僵化。

yòng lái bǐyù zuòshì yào gēnjù jùtǐ qíngkuàng, línghuó chǔlǐ, bù néng kèbǎn jiānghuà

It is used to illustrate that when doing things, one should consider the specific circumstances and handle them flexibly, instead of being rigid and inflexible.

Examples

• 裁缝师根据顾客的身材量体裁衣，做出的衣服才合身。

  cáiféngshī gēnjù gùkè de shēncái liàngtǐcáiyī, zuò chū de yīfu cái héshēn.

  The tailor makes clothes that fit well by taking the customer's measurements.

• 学习要量体裁衣，根据自身的实际情况制定学习计划。

  xuéxí yào liàngtǐcáiyī, gēnjù zìshēn de shíjì qíngkuàng zhìdìng xuéxí jìhuà.

  Learning should be tailored to one's own needs; a learning plan should be created that suits oneself.

• 企业发展要量体裁衣，不能照搬照抄别人的经验。

  qǐyè fāzhǎn yào liàngtǐcáiyī, bù néng zhàobān zhàochāo biérén de jīngyàn

  Business development must be tailored to individual circumstances; one cannot simply copy the experiences of others.

Related Idioms

• 因地制宜

• 量力而行

Opposite Idioms

• 生搬硬套

• 墨守成规