# 闭门造车

bì mén zào chē

Work in isolation from actual needs

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Build a cart behind closed doors

**Traditional Chinese:** 閉門造車

**Register:** Critical · general

[Choices & judgment](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/decisions)

## When to use it

Criticize design or planning without real feedback.

Focused independent work is not necessarily detached.

## Understanding the expression

A cart built behind closed doors may look fine to its maker yet fail to fit the roads or the people who use it. The expression highlights missing contact with reality. It applies to plans, products, studies, and rules created without observation or feedback. Working alone is not the problem in itself. The criticism is that isolation prevents the maker from checking whether the result serves its purpose.

## Examples

设计前要访谈，别闭门造车。

### Traditional Chinese

設計前要訪談，別閉門造車。

shè jì qián yào fǎng tán ， bié bì mén zào chē 。

Interview users before designing instead of working in isolation.

这份方案闭门造车，没考虑预算。

### Traditional Chinese

這份方案閉門造車，沒考慮預算。

zhè fèn fāng àn bì mén zào chē ， méi kǎo lǜ yù suàn 。

This isolated plan ignores the budget.

她走访社区，避免闭门造车。

### Traditional Chinese

她走訪社區，避免閉門造車。

tā zǒu fǎng shè qū ， bì miǎn bì mén zào chē 。

She visits the community to avoid detached planning.

软件开发不能总是闭门造车。

### Traditional Chinese

軟件開發不能總是閉門造車。

ruǎn jiàn kāi fā bù néng zǒng shì bì mén zào chē 。

Software development cannot always ignore real users.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E9%96%89%E9%96%80%E9%80%A0%E8%BB%8A)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=92&webMd=1&la=0)

## Keep exploring

- [步步为营 bù bù wéi yíng Proceed cautiously and consolidate each step ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/bu-bu-wei-ying)

- [不二法门 bù èr fǎ mén The key or most effective method ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/bu-er-fa-men)

- [不识时务 bù shí shí wù Fail to understand current circumstances ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/bu-shi-shi-wu)

- [不时之需 bù shí zhī xū An unexpected need ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/bu-shi-zhi-xu)

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