quán

筌

Character · Noun

bamboo fish trap

Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma

Meanings

1 sense · 2 examples
1.

noun

bamboo fishing trap; fish cage

literary

A bamboo device used to catch fish, often mentioned in classical texts. Best known from the idiom 得鱼忘筌, which means to forget the means once the end is achieved.

Dé得
yú鱼
wàng忘
quán筌
 。

To forget the bamboo trap after catching the fish (to forget the means once the end is achieved).

Quán筌
zhě者
suǒ所
yǐ以
zài在
yú鱼
 ，
dé得
yú鱼
ér而
wàng忘
quán筌
 。

The bamboo trap is the means by which to catch fish; once the fish is caught, the trap is forgotten.