yuán
zhī
shuǐ
,
běn
zhī

idiom
literary
common

Meaning of 无源之水,无本之木

无源之水,无本之木 means things without foundation or basis; unfounded arguments or endeavors. Pronounced wú yuán zhī shuǐ , wú běn zhī mù.

  • things without foundation or basis; unfounded arguments or endeavors

Definitions & Examples

Tuō
shí
jiàn
de
lùn
shì
yuán
zhī
shuǐ
 
běn
zhī
 

Theory divorced from practice is like water without a source or a tree without roots.

Méi
yǒu
qún
zhòng
zhī
chí
 
zhè
xiàng
gǎi
jiù
chéng
le
yuán
zhī
shuǐ
 
běn
zhī
 

Without mass support, this reform becomes water without a source or a tree without roots.

Zhè
lèi
yuán
zhī
shuǐ
 
běn
zhī
de
lùn
diǎn
 
zài
xué
shù
jiè
shì
zhàn
zhù
jiǎo
de
 

Such unfounded arguments cannot stand in academic circles.