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刻舟求剑

kèzhōuqiújiàn

Traditional: 刻舟求劍

lit. a notch on the side of a boat to locate a sword dropped overboard (idiom); fig. an action made pointless by changed circumstances

Character Breakdown

刻
kè
to carve, to engrave; a quarter hour; a moment
HSK 3
舟
zhōu
boat, ship
HSK 6
求
qiú
to seek; to request, to demand; to beseech, to beg for
HSK 3
剑
jiàn
sword, dagger, saber
HSK 6

Additional Information

Category
Chinese
HSK Character Level
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HSK Word Level
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