unable to tell beans from wheat; ignorant of common things
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
to be so ignorant as not to know beans from wheat; to lack basic practical knowledge
literary源自《左传·成公十八年》。用于讽刺或批评一个人连最基本、最常见的事物都无法分辨，形容其脱离实际、见识浅薄。
Tā他
suī虽
shì是
bó博
shì士
，
què却
lián连
jī基
běn本
de的
nóng农
huó活
dōu都
bù不
dǒng懂
，
zhēn真
shì是
wǔ五
gǔ谷
bù不
fēn分
，
bù不
biàn辨
shū菽
mài麦
。
Despite having a Ph.D., he doesn't even understand basic farm work, truly unable to tell one grain from another, not knowing beans from wheat.
Zhè这
ge个
lǐ理
lùn论
jiā家
zhǐ纸
shàng上
tán谈
bīng兵
kě可
yǐ以
，
yī一
dào到
shí实
jì际
yìng应
yòng用
jiù就
xiǎn显
de得
bù不
biàn辨
shū菽
mài麦
。
This theorist is fine with armchair strategy, but when it comes to practical application, he appears utterly ignorant of the basics.
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Xiàn现
dài代
chéng城
shì市
lǐ里
zhǎng长
dà大
de的
hái孩
zi子
，
bù不
biàn辨
shū菽
mài麦
de的
xiàn现
xiàng象
hěn很
cháng常
jiàn见
。
It's quite common for children raised in modern cities to be unable to tell basic crops apart.