朽 朽木不 不可雕也
“"R-Rotten wood cannot be carved;”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
“Can anyone think of some that everybody knows? Go ahead. Chen Jianghe.”
朽 朽木不 不可 雕也
“"R-Rotten wood cannot be carved;”
粪土之墙不可杇也
“a wall of dung cannot be plastered."”
Direct spoken expression in this communicative setting.
Chinese students are trained from an early age to memorize classical texts like the Analects, making idioms like this universally familiar across generations.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
rotten wood cannot be carved (one is hopeless/unreformable)
A famous classical idiom from the Analects of Confucius, used idiomatically to describe someone who lacks discipline or potential.
A classical final particle that marks a declarative, definitive conclusion.
