Once upon a time in the Tang dynasty, a provincial official was unlucky in his career, failing at many tasks and often seeking distraction through travel. While staying at Jingguo Temple, he dreamed of an old monk who told him he had been an unremarkable official for three lifetimes, accomplishing nothing. This realization led him to give up the futile pursuit of officialdom. The phrase “yī shì wú chéng” (“accomplishing nothing”) became a common way to express having no success or achievement, used by people of all ages.

Summary

  • Idiom: 一事无成
  • Pinyin: yī shì wú chéng
  • Literal Translation: accomplish nothing in a single matter
  • Extended Meaning: Describes someone who has failed to achieve anything; utterly without success or accomplishment.

Character Introduction

  • 省郎官 (Provincial Official)
    A low-ranking official in the Tang dynasty whose unlucky career and dream inspire the idiom.
  • 老和尚 (Old Monk)
    The mystical figure in the official’s dream who reveals the futility of his repeated failures.