杞人忧天

Traditional form:

杞人憂天

Pinyin (reading):

Qǐrényōutiān

Definitions:

• lit. like the man of 杞 ( Qǐ) who feared the sky would fall (idiom)
• fig. to entertain groundless fears

Characters:

• 杞 - willow, medlar tree; a small feudal state
• 人 - man, person; people
• 忧 - sad, grieving; melancholy, grief
• 天 - sky, heaven; god, celestial

Traditional characters:

• 杞 - willow, medlar tree; a small feudal state
• 人 - man, person; people
• 憂 - sad, grieving; melancholy, grief
• 天 - sky, heaven; god, celestial