Nang-jung-ji-chu

囊

주머니 낭

中

가운데 중

之

갈 지

錐

송곳 추

Character by character

Meaning

An awl in a sack — real ability pushes through however it is hidden.

Origin

From the Shiji. Told that an awl always pierces the bag, Mao Sui replied that no one had ever put him in the bag.

How it is used

Said of someone still unknown whose ability is about to show.

Hanja囊中之錐

Simplified囊中之锥

Korean reading낭중지추

Pinyinnáng zhōng zhī zhuī

Frequently asked questions

Q. What does Nang-jung-ji-chu mean?

囊中之錐 · An awl in a sack — real ability pushes through however it is hidden.

Q. Where does Nang-jung-ji-chu come from?

From the Shiji. Told that an awl always pierces the bag, Mao Sui replied that no one had ever put him in the bag.

Q. How is Nang-jung-ji-chu used?

Said of someone still unknown whose ability is about to show.

Idioms in the same group

刮目相對 Gwal-mok-sang-daeRub your eyes and look again — someone’s ability has grown astonishingly.敎學相長 Gyo-hak-sang-jangTeaching and learning grow each other.多多益善 Da-da-ik-seonThe more, the better.聞一知十 Mun-il-ji-sipHear one thing and know ten — exceptional quickness of mind.格物致知 Gyeong-mul-chi-jiInvestigate things to reach knowledge.後生可畏 Hu-saeng-ga-oeThose born later are to be feared — never write off what the young will become.

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.