The white head returned in vain

The white head returned in vain

Bai Shou Kong GUI, a Chinese idiom, Pinyin is B á ISH ǒ UK ō nggu ī, which means to come back empty handed with white hair. It's a metaphor for old age and no achievement in learning. It comes from Xiandi Ji, the book of the later Han Dynasty.

Analysis of Idioms

Synonyms: old but no success, white head no success

Idiom usage

To be formal; to be predicate; to be derogatory

The origin of Idioms

Xiandi Ji in the book of the later Han Dynasty: "today's scholars are more than 60 years old. They have to leave the country to seek food and capital, but they can't be professional. If you go to school with a child, you will come back with nothing. "