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General (Intermediate)
Chinese Idiom “买椟还珠 (măi dú huán zhū)” 
买 (măi) means to buy; 椟 (dú) means case; 还 (huán) is to give back; 珠 (zhū) refers to a pearl in this Chinese idiom. So, the idiom “买椟还珠 (măi dú huán zhū)” means to keep the beautiful case but give back the more valuable pearl.
Key Learning Points (Preview):
珍贵 (zhēnguì): adj. precious
卖 (mài): v. to sell
Learn Basic Chinese and read the story of this Chinese idiom:
Cóng qián, yí gè Chǔguórén yŏu yì kē hĕn zhēnguì de zhēnzhū.
从 前， 一 个 楚国人 有 一 颗 很 珍贵 的 珍珠。
A long time ago, a person in Chu State had a very precious pearl.
Tā wèile bă zhēnzhū mài gè hăo jiàqian, biàn jiāng zhēnzhū zhuāng zài yí
他 为了 把 珍珠 卖 个 好 价钱， 便 将 珍珠 装 在 一
gè fēicháng piàoliang de hézi lĭ.
个 非常 漂亮 的 盒子 里。
In order to sell the pearl at a high price, he displayed it in a beautiful case.
Dào shìchăng shàng bùjiǔ, yí gè Zhèngguórén kànjiàn hòu duì hézi ài bú
到 市场 上 不久，一 个 郑国人 看见 后 对 盒子 爱 不
shì shŏu, chū gāo jià jiāng hézi măi le xià lái.
释 手， 出 高 价 将 盒子 买 了 下 来。
Not long after he arrived at the market, a person from Zheng State was deeply enamored by the pretty case and bought it for a high price.
Kĕshì hĕn kuài tā yòu huílái shuō, “Xiānsheng, nín jiāng yì kē zhēnzhū
可是 很 快 他 又 回来 说： “先生， 您 将 一 颗 珍珠
wàng zài hézi lĭ le. Wŏ shì huílái huán gĕi nĭn de.”
忘 在 盒子 里 了。我 是 回来 还 给 您 的。”
Later, however, the man from Zheng returned and said to the man from Chu, “Sir, you forgot to take out the pearl inside the case. Here it is.”
Hòu lái zhè ge chéngyǔ bèi yòng lái bĭ yù méi yŏu yănguāng, qǔ shĕ bú dàng.
后 来 这 个 成语 被 用 来 比 喻 没 有 眼光， 取 舍 不 当。
Therefore, this idiom is used to satire situations where people act without seeing clearly, and make foolish choices.
Key Learning Points:
珍贵 (zhēnguì): adj. precious
Example:
Zhè ge lĭwù duì wŏ lái shuō tài zhēnguì le.
这 个 礼物 对 我 来 说 太 珍贵 了。
This present is very precious to me.
卖 (mài): v. to sell
Example:
Qĭng wèn pínguŏ zĕnme mài?
请 问 苹果 怎么 卖？
Excuse me, how much is the apple?
