🌌 杞人忧天 qǐ rén yōu tiān – Worrying About the Sky Falling

🔍 What It Means

杞人忧天 (qǐ rén yōu tiān) literally means “a man from Qi worries the sky will fall.”

Word-for-word:

• 杞 (qǐ) – the ancient state of Qi

• 人 (rén) – person

• 忧 (yōu) – to worry

• 天 (tiān) – sky

It describes someone who worries too much, especially about things that probably won’t happen.

In English, it’s like saying:

• 💭 “Worrying for no reason”

• 🌩 “What if the sky falls?”

🏺 Where It Comes From

This idiom comes from a humorous old fable:

A man in the ancient state of Qi often looked up and thought,

“What if the sky falls down? How could I survive?”

He became so anxious, he couldn’t eat or sleep.

People around him tried to comfort him, saying:

“The sky is just air — it won’t fall.”

“The earth is solid — it won’t collapse.”

Eventually, he calmed down…

But his story became a symbol of pointless worrying.

💬 How to Use It

Use 杞人忧天 when someone worries too much — especially about something unlikely, imaginary, or out of their control.

• ❌ It’s negative, but usually not harsh.

• 🗣 Often used in a humorous or light way, like:

• “Come on, don’t be 杞人忧天!”

🎯 Real Examples

1. 明天只是个小测验，你紧张成这样，简直是杞人忧天！

• Míngtiān zhǐ shì ge xiǎo cèyàn, nǐ jǐnzhāng chéng zhèyàng, jiǎnzhí shì qǐrényōutiān!

• 👉🏼 It’s just a small quiz tomorrow — you’re way too nervous. You’re overthinking it!

2. 她总是担心不可能发生的事，朋友们说她像杞人忧天。

• Tā zǒngshì dānxīn bù kěnéng fāshēng de shì, péngyǒumen shuō tā xiàng qǐrényōutiān.

• 👉🏼 She always worries about things that can’t happen. Her friends say she worries like the man from Qi.

⚠️ Common Mistakes (Watch Out!)

• ❌ Mistake: Thinking this idiom means being careful.

• ✅ Correct: 杞人忧天 is about excessive or unnecessary worrying, not thoughtful planning.

💡 Memory Tip

Picture someone staring at the sky every day, worried it might fall.

☁️ “What if it crashes on me?!”

That’s 杞人忧天 — worrying about something that will almost certainly not happen.

✍🏻 Interactive Practice

Translate this sentence into English:

• 他还没开始工作，就担心会被炒鱿鱼，真是杞人忧天！

Answer:

• He hasn’t even started the job, but he’s already worried he’ll get fired — he’s really worrying for nothing!

🌟 Final Thoughts

Everyone worries sometimes. But 杞人忧天 reminds us not to let imagination become anxiety.

So next time your thoughts go wild…

☁️ Take a breath.

☀️ Focus on what’s real.

🌈 And don’t worry — the sky is not falling. 😉

👉 Stay tuned for the next idiom in this series!