This idiom story 守株待兔 (shǒu zhū dài tù) is a very famous Chinese folktale. This story tells a story that a farmer got a dead hare by accident while he worked on a field.
The farmer was so happy and he wished he could get a hare again, so he just sat under the tree with a hope that another hare will appear. He waited and waited but nothing happened, but his field was covered with weeds.
This story 守株待兔 laughed at people who always try to get something without hard work. Below is the video in Mandarin-Chinese. Watch this video to see if you really understand this story without difficulty.
Then how to use this idiom?
If people do something with a passive attitude or they always wish something could get done by chance, this word 守株待兔 will be best to describe this type of people.
For example, if I say something like: Many people will come to visit my website if I just set it up. Then you can say: 你在守株待兔。(You are waiting for a hare under a tree.)
By using idioms, even you are just a beginner, you will sound more like a Mandarin-Chinese native speaker.
Now let’s listen to this story together.