Dictionary › 朽木不可雕

朽木不可雕

xiǔ mù bù kě diāo

5-character word

What 朽木不可雕 means

1. lit. rotten wood cannot be carved (idiom)
2. fig. you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

The characters in 朽木不可雕

• 朽xiǔrotten
• 木mù(bound form) tree; (bound form) wood; unresponsive; numb; wooden
• 不bùno; not so; (bound form) not; un-
• 可kě(prefix) can; may; able to; -able; to approve; to permit; to suit
• 雕diāoto carve; to engrave; shrewd