Chinese idiom · 成语
僧多粥少
Meaning
Too many monks, too little porridge; insufficient resources.
Character by character
Origin and story
proverbThis proverb turns an unequal distribution into an easy picture: there are many monks to feed but too little porridge for them. A related wording, seng duo zhou bo, appears in chapter 62 of the Qing novel Xingshi Yinyuan Zhuan. There the concern is a banquet: extra people turning up will leave too little food for the invited company. The image is already being used figuratively, rather than narrated as an incident at a particular monastery. The modern wording substitutes 'little' for 'thin' porridge and applies broadly to scarce opportunities or resources being sought by too many people.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
今年只有三个实习名额，却有上百人申请，真是僧多粥少。
There are only three internship places this year but over a hundred applicants—far too many people competing for too little.
Emphasizes competition caused by limited resources.