守 株 待 兔

shǒu zhū dài tùdictionary entry

lit. to guard a tree-stump, waiting for rabbits (idiom) / to wait idly for opportunities / to trust to chance rather than show initiative

Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-675c6a218b35d1ef. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

守株待兔 守株待兔 [shou3 zhu1 dai4 tu4] /lit. to guard a tree-stump, waiting for rabbits (idiom)/to wait idly for opportunities/to trust to chance rather than show initiative/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

守
shǒu
to guard / to defend / to keep watch / to abide by the law / to observe (rules or ritual) / nearby / adjoining
株
zhū
tree trunk / stump (tree root) / a plant / classifier for trees or plants / strain (biology) / to involve others (in shady business)
待
dāi
to stay / to remain
dài
to wait / to treat / to deal with / to need / going to (do sth) / about to / intending to
兔
tù
rabbit

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.