Chinese idiom · 成语
守株待兔
Meaning
To wait idly for an unlikely opportunity; to rely on luck instead of effort.
Character by character
Origin and story
FableIn the Wudu (五蠹) chapter of Han Feizi (韓非子), a farmer in the state of Song sees a running hare strike a tree stump and break its neck. He puts aside his farming tool and waits beside the stump, hoping to get another hare the same way. No second hare comes, and people in Song laugh at him.
The original passage uses this fable to criticize governing the present by mechanically copying the policies of ancient rulers: circumstances change, so yesterday’s success does not guarantee tomorrow’s. In everyday use, the idiom often criticizes waiting for another lucky break instead of making an effort. It can also describe waiting for a target to appear, but that use depends on the context.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
找工作不能守株待兔，还是要主动联系公司。
When looking for work, you can’t just wait for luck; you need to contact companies yourself.
Usually critical: it describes passive reliance on a lucky opportunity.