In our daily life, there are often some seemingly simple but "headache" Chinese characters, and their pronunciation always seems to play "hide and seek" with us. Among them, the word "hole" in the "three holes of the cunning rabbit" is a typical example.
Many people may pronounce it as "kù" without thinking, but in reality, the correct pronunciation of this character is "kū".
The idiom "Three Holes of the Cunning Rabbit" originates from the famous article of "Warring States Policy", which means that the cunning rabbit will prepare several hiding nests, which is used as a metaphor for many hiding places, or many ways to hide it, and also describes that people have many ways to deal with unexpected situations.
In this idiom, the word "hole" means a cave, a hiding place dug by rabbits to escape predators.
Now, let's go back to the pronunciation of "cave". Why is "cave" pronounced "kū" instead of "kù"? This starts with the pronunciation rules of Chinese characters.
In Chinese, polyphonic characters are a common phenomenon, and the same character may have different pronunciations in different words or contexts. The character "cave" is pronounced "kū" here, which is the same as "dry" and "crying", because in ancient Chinese, this sound is more in line with its literal meaning and historical evolution.
To understand the word more vividly, we can imagine a clever rabbit who skillfully digs multiple burrows in the wild in order to survive. Whenever there is danger, it quickly takes refuge in one of the "holes" (kū). This "hole" not only represents the hiding place of the rabbit, but also symbolizes wisdom and survival strategy.
In modern Chinese, it is rare for "hole" to be pronounced as "kū", but in the idiom "cunning rabbit three caves", this ancient pronunciation is retained. This also reflects the profoundness and richness of Chinese culture.
Interestingly, when we explore this word, we can't help but think of the wisdom of humans and animals. Just like that cunning rabbit, always prepare multiple hiding places in advance in case of accidents.
In life, should we also learn to be like that rabbit, leave a few more ways for ourselves, and prepare a few more coping methods?
In addition, the idiom "three holes of cunning rabbits" also tells us that whether we live or work, we should be forward-looking and adaptable. In this rapidly changing world, only by constantly adapting and learning can we remain invincible in various challenges.
Through this small "hole" character, we not only learned the correct pronunciation, but also comprehended the wisdom of life. The next time you hear the idiom "three holes of the cunning rabbit", you might as well correct the correct pronunciation of "hole" to your friends and share this funny little story!
Now, whenever you see the idiom "three holes of the cunning rabbit", do you smile and think of that smart rabbit and its many "holes"? Remember, "cave" is pronounced "kū", not "kù"!