Chinese Idiom: 失斧疑邻 (Shi Fu Yi Lin)
English Translation: Losing an axe and suspecting the neighbor
pīn yīn: shī fǔ yí lín
Idiom Meaning: This idiom is used to describe the act of jumping to conclusions and suspecting others without proper investigation, often leading to unjust accusations.
Historical Source: Liezi (《列子 ·说符》)
Idiom Story:
The story originates from the ancient Chinese text Liezi. There was once a man who lost his axe and couldn’t find it anywhere. He immediately suspected that his neighbor’s son had stolen it. As he observed the young man’s behavior, every action and expression seemed suspicious to him. Whether the young man spoke or moved, it all appeared to confirm the man’s belief that he was the thief. The man was convinced and thought to himself, “It must have been him! I’ve always known he was up to no good!”
The next day, the man went into the mountains to chop wood and suddenly found his missing axe near a large tree. He realized that he had simply forgotten to take it back with him the last time he was there. Feeling remorseful for wrongly accusing his neighbor’s son, he returned home and observed the young man again. This time, the young man’s actions and expressions seemed entirely innocent. The man thought, “Why would anyone steal a small axe when they likely have one at home? I knew he wouldn’t do such a thing!”
This story illustrates how subjective assumptions and lack of evidence can lead to unfounded suspicions and incorrect judgments.
