# 缘木求鱼

yuán mù qiú yú

Use a method that cannot achieve the goal

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Climb a tree to look for fish

**Traditional Chinese:** 緣木求魚

**Register:** Critical · literary

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

## When to use it

Use when the chosen means fundamentally do not fit the aim.

It is stronger than saying a method is merely inefficient.

## Behind the words

Mencius compares a misguided pursuit with climbing a tree to find fish. The mismatch makes the failure of the method clear.

Fish are not found in the branches of a tree, so greater effort climbing does not fix the mistaken method. The expression concerns a mismatch between means and ends. It is stronger than saying a task is difficult: the chosen route cannot deliver the intended result. A useful criticism identifies both the desired outcome and the reason the current action does not lead toward it.

## Examples

想靠刷视频提高写作能力，恐怕是缘木求鱼。

### Traditional Chinese

想靠刷視頻提高寫作能力，恐怕是緣木求魚。

xiǎng kào shuā shì pín tí gāo xiě zuò néng lì ， kǒng pà shì yuán mù qiú yú 。

Trying to improve writing only by watching videos may be using the wrong approach.

只靠降低价格来解决质量问题，简直是缘木求鱼。

### Traditional Chinese

只靠降低價格來解決質量問題，簡直是緣木求魚。

zhī kào jiàng dī jià gé lái jiě jué zhì liàng wèn tí ， jiǎn zhí shì yuán mù qiú yú 。

Trying to fix a quality problem only by cutting prices uses a method that cannot achieve the goal.

想练好口语却从不开口，岂不是缘木求鱼？

### Traditional Chinese

想練好口語卻從不開口，豈不是緣木求魚？

xiǎng liàn hǎo kǒu yǔ què cóng bù kāi kǒu ， qǐ bú shì yuán mù qiú yú ？

Hoping to speak well without ever speaking uses the wrong approach.

不调查用户需求，只不停增加功能，可能是缘木求鱼。

### Traditional Chinese

不調查用戶需求，只不停增加功能，可能是緣木求魚。

bù diào chá yòng hù xū qiú ， zhī bù tíng zēng jiā gōng néng ， kě néng shì yuán mù qiú yú 。

Adding features without investigating users' needs may be an ineffective way to reach the goal.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 4, 2026.

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=86&q=1&webMd=1&la=0)

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E7%B7%A3%E6%9C%A8%E6%B1%82%E9%AD%9A)

## Keep exploring

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