Conduct & Attitude
螳螂拒轍
당랑거철
táng láng jù zhé
Dang-nang-geo-cheol
螳
사마귀 당
螂
사마귀 랑
拒
막을 거
轍
바퀴자국 철
Character by character
Meaning
The mantis blocks the cart — taking on what you cannot possibly stop.
Origin
From the Zhuangzi and the Hanshi Waizhuan, where a mantis raises its forelegs against an oncoming chariot.
How it is used
Used of standing up to an opponent far out of your weight.
Hanja螳螂拒轍
Simplified螳螂拒辙
Korean reading당랑거철
Pinyintáng láng jù zhé
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does Dang-nang-geo-cheol mean?
螳螂拒轍 · The mantis blocks the cart — taking on what you cannot possibly stop.
Q. Where does Dang-nang-geo-cheol come from?
From the Zhuangzi and the Hanshi Waizhuan, where a mantis raises its forelegs against an oncoming chariot.
Q. How is Dang-nang-geo-cheol used?
Used of standing up to an opponent far out of your weight.
Idioms in the same group
有備無患 Yu-bi-mu-hwanIf you prepare in advance, there is nothing to worry about.易地思之 Yeok-ji-sa-jiThink about it after swapping places with the other person.初志一貫 Cho-ji-il-gwanCarry the resolve you started with all the way through, unchanged.名不虛傳 Myeong-bul-heo-jeonThe reputation was not passed on in vain — it lives up to the name.靑出於藍 Cheong-chul-eo-ramThe blue drawn from the indigo plant is bluer than the plant — the student surpasses the teacher.大器晩成 Dae-gi-man-seongA great vessel takes long to finish — those destined for greatness succeed late.
The idioms used in Korea mix phrases from the Chinese classics with ones coined in Korea. Where an expression is not used in China, the entry says so.