🛶 刻舟求剑 kè zhōu qiú jiàn – Marking the Boat to Find the Sword

🔍 What It Means

刻舟求剑 (kè zhōu qiú jiàn) literally means “mark the boat to look for the sword.”

Word-for-word:

• 刻 (kè) – to carve / to mark

• 舟 (zhōu) – boat

• 求 (qiú) – to look for / to seek

• 剑 (jiàn) – sword

It describes someone who sticks to an old method, even when the situation has changed — making their actions useless.

In English, it’s like saying:

• ❌ “Using the wrong method”

• 🕰️ “Not adjusting to reality”

🏺 Where It Comes From

This idiom comes from a story in ancient China:

A man was crossing a river by boat when his sword suddenly fell into the water.

He didn’t panic — instead, he took out a knife and carved a mark on the boat where the sword had dropped.

Later, when the boat stopped, he jumped into the water —

right where he had made the mark.

But of course… the boat had moved.

The sword was long gone.

The lesson?

You can’t solve a problem by holding on to a solution that no longer fits.

💬 How to Use It

Use 刻舟求剑 to describe someone who sticks to old thinking or uses outdated methods, even when the situation has clearly changed.

• ❌ It’s a negative idiom — often used to point out stubborn thinking.

• 🗣 Great for talking about study habits, business decisions, or social mistakes.

🎯 Real Examples

1. 现在的市场变化很快，如果你还用老办法，那就是刻舟求剑。

• Xiànzài de shìchǎng biànhuà hěn kuài, rúguǒ nǐ hái yòng lǎo bànfǎ, nà jiù shì kèzhōuqiújiàn.

• 👉🏼 The market changes fast — if you still use old methods, you’re just marking the boat to find the sword.

2. 他上课不用新教材，坚持用十年前的资料，简直是刻舟求剑。

• Tā shàngkè bú yòng xīn jiàocái, jiānchí yòng shí nián qián de zīliào, jiǎnzhí shì kèzhōuqiújiàn.

• 👉🏼 He refuses to use new teaching materials and sticks to 10-year-old notes — that’s completely outdated thinking.

⚠️ Common Mistakes (Watch Out!)

• ❌ Mistake: Thinking this idiom is about “being patient” or “not giving up.”

• ✅ Correct: It’s about someone doing something that doesn’t make sense anymore because the situation has changed.

💡 Memory Tip

Picture a man carving a mark on the boat to find his sword…

but the boat moves… and the sword stays behind.

That’s 刻舟求剑:

🛶 Don’t solve new problems with old thinking.

✍🏻 Interactive Practice

Translate this sentence into English:

• 情况已经变了，你还按原来的办法做事，不是刻舟求剑吗？

Answer:

• Things have changed — if you still use old ways, isn’t that like marking the boat to find the sword?

🌟 Final Thoughts

Things change.

Methods that worked before may not work now.

刻舟求剑 reminds us to stay flexible — to stop, think, and ask:

🧠 “Is this still the right approach?”

👉 Stay tuned for the next idiom in this series!