# 揠苗助长

yà miáo zhù zhǎng

Damage progress by forcing it too quickly

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Pull seedlings up to help them grow

**Traditional Chinese:** 揠苗助長

**Register:** Cautionary · formal

[Effort & growth](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/effort)

## When to use it

Criticize pressure that ignores natural development.

Useful support is different from forced acceleration.

## Understanding the expression

Pulling a seedling upward may make it look taller for a moment, but it harms the roots that allow real growth. The image separates visible quick results from healthy development. It applies to learning, training, business, and raising children when demands outrun the needed foundation. The expression does not oppose effort or ambition. It warns that methods must match the stage of growth rather than force a misleading appearance.

## Examples

让初学者每天练五小时，恐怕是揠苗助长。

### Traditional Chinese

讓初學者每天練五小時，恐怕是揠苗助長。

ràng chū xué zhě měi tiān liàn wǔ xiǎo shí ， kǒng pà shì yà miáo zhù zhǎng 。

Making beginners practice five hours daily may damage their progress.

课程跳过基础，就是揠苗助长。

### Traditional Chinese

課程跳過基礎，就是揠苗助長。

kè chéng tiào guò jī chǔ ， jiù shì yà miáo zhù zhǎng 。

Skipping the basics in the course forces progress harmfully.

别揠苗助长，让孩子逐步学会独立。

### Traditional Chinese

別揠苗助長，讓孩子逐步學會獨立。

bié yà miáo zhù zhǎng ， ràng hái zi zhú bù xué huì dú lì 。

Do not force development; let the child learn independence gradually.

为了销量盲目扩张，结果揠苗助长。

### Traditional Chinese

為了銷量盲目擴張，結果揠苗助長。

wèi le xiāo liàng máng mù kuò zhāng ， jié guǒ yà miáo zhù zhǎng 。

Expanding blindly for sales ended up harming the business's growth.

## 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=%E6%8F%A0%E8%8B%97%E5%8A%A9%E9%95%B7)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=56&webMd=1&la=0)

## Keep exploring

- [眼高手低 yǎn gāo shǒu dī Have high expectations but inadequate practical ability ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/yan-gao-shou-di)

- [阳春白雪 yáng chūn bái xuě Art of a refined or demanding kind ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/yang-chun-bai-xue)

- [养精蓄锐 yǎng jīng xù ruì Rest and prepare strength for a coming effort ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/yang-jing-xu-rui)

- [夜以继日 yè yǐ jì rì Work continuously through day and night ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/ye-yi-ji-ri)

## Keep this one close.

Save useful idioms, read offline, and revisit them with flashcards in Almanac.

[View on the App Store ](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6819590452)

[Previous idiom 哑口无言 ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/ya-kou-wu-yan) [Next idiom 鸦雀无声 ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/ya-que-wu-sheng)