胸有成竹
- Literal
- to have fully formed bamboo in one's chest
- Figurative
- To have a well-laid plan already in mind; to approach something with full confidence because everything has been thought through in advance.
Where does 胸有成竹 come from?
The Song-dynasty painter Wen Tong was famous for his paintings of bamboo. Before lifting his brush, he would observe bamboo at length through every season until the whole plant was fixed in his mind. When he finally painted, he drew the entire stalk in one confident stroke, without hesitation, because he already "had the formed bamboo in his chest." His kinsman and friend, the great poet Su Shi, recorded this idea in an essay on Wen Tong's bamboo painting, and from it the phrase came to mean having a complete plan clear in one's mind before beginning.
Source (出处): 苏轼《文与可画筼筜谷偃竹记》
How is 胸有成竹 used? Two examples
- 明天的面试他一点也不紧张，看起来胸有成竹。
He isn't the least bit nervous about tomorrow's interview; he clearly has a solid plan in mind.
- 经理对这个项目胸有成竹，所以会上说话特别有信心。
The manager has the project fully mapped out, which is why he spoke with such confidence at the meeting.
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