Chinese idiom · 成语
班门弄斧
Meaning
To wield an axe before Ban’s gate; to show off skills before an expert.
Character by character
Origin and story
Literary analogyLiu Zongyuan’s preface to the Wang brothers’ exchanged poems, Wang Shi Bo Zhong Chang He Shi Xu (王氏伯仲唱和詩序), compares his own contribution with handling an axe at the gates of Ban and the craftsman of Ying. Ban refers to the renowned artisan Lu Ban; both names evoke mastery that makes an amateur display look presumptuous.
This is a literary comparison, not evidence that someone actually held a carpentry contest outside Lu Ban’s house. The idiom later shortened the image to Ban’s gate. It can criticize someone showing off before an expert, but speakers also use it modestly about themselves before offering an opinion or performance.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
在专业摄影师面前讲构图，我这是班门弄斧了。
Talking about composition in front of a professional photographer, I’m rather showing off before an expert.
Often a modest remark about one’s own contribution; directed at others, it can sound insulting.