táng螳mantisbì臂armdāng当blockchē车chariot
To overrate one's strength and attempt the impossible; to kick against the pricks.
Literal meaning
mantis (螳) — arm (臂) — block (当) — chariot (车)
Origin
Describes someone who overestimates their abilities and tries to do something impossible, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot with its arms. A classical four-character phrase.
Examples
yǐ以tā他xiàn现zài在de的shí实lì力，xiǎng想dǎ打bài败duì对shǒu手jiǎn简zhí直shì是táng螳bì臂dāng当chē车。
With his current strength, trying to defeat his opponent is simply overrating himself.
bù不yào要táng螳bì臂dāng当chē车，yào要liàng量lì力ér而xíng行。
Don't overrate yourself; act according to your abilities.
Usage & nuances
Negative, warns against overestimating one's abilities and attempting the impossible.
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