nú
驽
inferior horse; metaphor for incompetence
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesnoun
inferior horse; slow horse
literaryClassical Chinese term, rarely used in modern spoken language. Often found in idioms or literary contexts.
Cè策
nú驽
mǎ马
ér而
qǔ取
cháng长
tú途
，
fēi非
míng明
zhì智
zhī之
jǔ举
。
Driving a slow horse on a long journey is not a wise move.
Qí骐
jì骥
yī一
yuè跃
，
bù不
néng能
shí十
bù步
；
nú驽
mǎ马
shí十
jià驾
，
gōng功
zài在
bù不
shě舍
。
A fine horse cannot cover ten paces in one leap, but an inferior horse can travel far through persistence.
adjective
incompetent; dull; stupid
literaryUsed metaphorically to describe a person's lack of ability or intelligence. Often self-deprecating or derogatory.
Chén臣
suī虽
nú驽
dùn钝
，
yuàn愿
xiào效
quǎn犬
mǎ马
zhī之
láo劳
。
Although I am incompetent, I am willing to serve you with all my effort.
Tā他
zì自
chēng称
nú驽
cái才
，
shí实
nǎi乃
guò过
qiān谦
。
He calls himself a talentless person, which is overly modest.
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Cǐ此
rén人
bìng并
fēi非
nú驽
cái才
，
zhǐ只
shì是
wèi未
yù遇
liáng良
jī机
。
This person is not incompetent, they just haven't encountered a good opportunity.