得魚忘筌

Chinese

		get; obtain; gain get; obtain; gain; proper; suitable; proud; contented; allow; permit; ready; finished; a sentence particle used after a verb to show effect; degree or possibility; to have to; must; ought to; to need to	fish	to forget; to overlook; to neglect	bamboo fish trap
trad. (得魚忘筌)		得	魚	忘	筌
simp. (得鱼忘筌)		得	鱼	忘	筌
Literally: “forget the gear once catch a fish”.

Etymology

From Zhuangzi:

筌者所以在魚，得魚而忘筌。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

筌者所以在鱼，得鱼而忘筌。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

Quán zhě suǒyǐ zài yú, déyú ér wàngquán. [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): déyúwàngquán

(Zhuyin): ㄉㄜˊ ㄩˊ ㄨㄤˋ ㄑㄩㄢˊ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: déyúwàngquán
  - Zhuyin: ㄉㄜˊ ㄩˊ ㄨㄤˋ ㄑㄩㄢˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: déyúwàngcyuán
  - Wade–Giles: tê²-yü²-wang⁴-chʻüan²
  - Yale: dé-yú-wàng-chywán
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: deryuwanqchyuan
  - Palladius: дэюйванцюань (dɛjujvancjuanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɤ³⁵ y³⁵ wɑŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵/

Idiom

得魚忘筌

(figurative) those who have attained enlightenment forget their physical form
- 嘉彼釣叟，得魚忘筌。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  嘉彼钓叟，得鱼忘筌。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: Wen Xuan, 6^th century CE
  Jiā bǐ diào sǒu, déyúwàngquán. [Pinyin]
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)
(figurative) once achieved the goal then forget the means relied on to achieved the goal
- 願他獨占魁選，榮顯。母妻封贈受皇宣，門楣顯，姓名傳。得魚後，怎忘筌？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  愿他独占魁选，荣显。母妻封赠受皇宣，门楣显，姓名传。得鱼后，怎忘筌？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: 明．朱權《荊釵記》第一五齣
  Yuàn tā dúzhàn kuíxuǎn, róngxiǎn. Mǔ qī fēngzèng shòu huáng xuān, ménméi xiǎn, xìng míng chuán. Déyú hòu, zěn wàngquán? [Pinyin]
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Synonyms

兔死狗烹 (tùsǐgǒupēng)
過河拆橋／过河拆桥 (guòhéchāiqiáo)

Antonyms

飲水思源／饮水思源 (yǐnshuǐsīyuán)

References

“得魚忘筌”, in 重編國語辭典修訂本 [Revised Mandarin Chinese Dictionary] (in Chinese), National Academy for Educational Research (Taiwan), 2021.