yà揠pull upmiáo苗seedlingzhù助helpzhǎng长grow
To spoil things by excessive enthusiasm; to try to help seedlings grow by pulling them up.
Literal meaning
pull up (揠) — seedling (苗) — help (助) — grow (长)
Origin
This idiom comes from Mencius. It tells the story of a farmer who, wanting his crops to grow faster, pulled them up from the soil, only to have them wither and die. It is used to describe actions taken with good intentions that ultimately lead to negative results.
Examples
jiàoyù háizi yào xúnxún-shànyòu, bùnéng yàmiáo-zhùzhǎng.教育孩子要循循善诱，不能揠苗助长。
Educating children requires patient guidance and cannot be done by trying to help the seedlings grow by pulling them up.
fāzhǎn jīngjì yào zūnxún guīlǜ, bùnéng yàmiáo-zhùzhǎng.发展经济要遵循规律，不能揠苗助长。
Economic development must follow the laws of economics and cannot be done by trying to help the seedlings grow by pulling them up.
Usage & nuances
Describes actions that are counterproductive due to excessive eagerness or impatience.
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