Examples from Daoist texts
Daoist works—especially the *Dao De Jing* and *Zhuangzi* (with later Daoist-influenced texts like *Liezi* and *Huainanzi*)—supply rich images that crystallized into four-character chengyu. These idioms foreground naturalness, perspective, flexibility, and humility.
- Chengyu Idioms
- 2 min read
Core Daoist-Sourced Chengyu (with Meaning & Use)
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无为而治 (wú wéi ér zhì) — govern by non-action → Rule by non-coercive guidance; let systems self-organize.
Daoist link: Dao De Jing on wúwéi.
Use: 这家公司的文化强调无为而治，给团队空间自我管理。 -
上善若水 (shàng shàn ruò shuǐ) — highest goodness is like water → The best virtue benefits all and contends with none.
Daoist link: Dao De Jing metaphor of water’s humility.
Use: 领导风格上善若水，不锋芒毕露却润物无声。 -
返璞归真 (fǎn pú guī zhēn) — return to uncarved simplicity → Return to simplicity; recover the authentic.
Daoist link: Ideals of simplicity/pu in Dao De Jing & Zhuangzi.
Use: 设计追求返璞归真，只保留必要元素。 -
以柔克刚 (yǐ róu kè gāng) — use softness to overcome hardness → Flexibility beats rigidity.
Daoist link: Water/softness motif in Dao De Jing.
Use: 面对冲突，沟通以柔克刚更有效。 -
朝三暮四 (zhāo sān mù sì) — three in the morning, four at night → Trick by shifting framing; fickleness; wordplay to placate.
Daoist link: Zhuangzi’s “monkey trainer” parable.
Use: 他只是朝三暮四地换说法，实质没变。 -
井底之蛙 (jǐng dǐ zhī wā) — frog at the bottom of a well → Narrow view due to limited experience.
Daoist link: Zhuangzi image about perspective.
Use: 别做井底之蛙，多看看外面的世界。 -
杞人忧天 (qǐ rén yōu tiān) — the man of Qi worries the sky will fall → Groundless anxiety; needless panic.
Daoist link: Commonly traced to Liezi (Daoist tradition).
Use: 数据很稳定，别杞人忧天。 -
虚怀若谷 (xū huái ruò gǔ) — humble heart like a valley → Open-minded and deeply humble.
Daoist link: Valley/emptiness imagery in Daoist texts; also seen in Huainanzi.
Use: 学者应当虚怀若谷，广纳不同观点。 -
无中生有 (wú zhōng shēng yǒu) — produce being from non-being → Conjure something from nothing; fabricate.
Daoist link: 有/无 polarity in Dao De Jing; later idiomatic sense often pejorative.
Use: 这些传闻是无中生有，不要轻信。
What Makes These “Daoist” in Flavor?
- Naturalness & non-coercion: 倡导顺势而为（无为而治）。
- Softness & adaptability: 借水喻德（上善若水、以柔克刚）。
- Perspective shift: 通过寓言挑战固有视角（井底之蛙、朝三暮四）。
- Simplicity & humility: 反求内在本真（返璞归真、虚怀若谷）。
Mini Practice (Choose the Best Chengyu)
- 领导不给死命令，让团队自驱：＿＿＿＿ → 无为而治
- 同样目标，用柔性谈判反而成功：＿＿＿＿ → 以柔克刚
- 朋友老担心不可能发生的事：＿＿＿＿ → 杞人忧天
- 员工主动学习、保持开放心态：＿＿＿＿ → 虚怀若谷
Usage Tips for Learners
- Register: 多数偏文雅/书面；口语中挑常见者（如 井底之蛙）更自然。
- Avoid over-literal: 把“水”的隐喻理解为品格/方法，不是表面“喝水”。
- Pair with context: 给出一句白话解释，确保听者理解你的意图。
Takeaway: Daoist texts gift us images of水、谷、无/有、变通。掌握 无为而治、上善若水、以柔克刚、返璞归真、井底之蛙、朝三暮四、杞人忧天、虚怀若谷，能在讨论领导力、心态与视角时又简洁又传神。