南轅北轍

to act in a way that defeats one's purpose (idiom)

Characters and words in 南轅北轍

surname Nan
south

= + + + : Mnemonic symbol: a palm tree (palms are only found in the south)

= + + + : Napoleon and the mean crocodile met in the anthill's kitchen to discuss a secret plan. The mean crocodile found a map which leads to a treasure of dried fruits. Napoleon and the mean crocodile agree to follow the map and claim the dried fruits, but each of them has his own secret agenda: Napoleon wants to claim the land and put up his big cross, and the crocodile just wants to relax under a palm tree.
shafts of cart / yamen
north / (classical) to be defeated

= + : A compass rose. In the Eiffel Tower, Beelzebub tries to build a compass. As a baseplate he uses a piece of wood, on which he sticks the north pike of a compass rose. On the south pike he balances a ladle, which is supposed to adjust itself to earth's magnetic field.
to remove / to withdraw
rut / track / rhyme / (dialect) way / method
rut; track of a wheel (Taiwan pr. [che4]) / (coll.) the direction of traffic / a rhyme (of a song, poem etc) / (dialect) (usu. after 有[you3] or 沒|没[mei2]) way; idea

= + + : James II of England (zh) wants to go out on a trip with his cabriolet (车). He can only drive it through the ruts (辙) leading through the elevator's kitchen (e2), but someone is rearing (育) their egg on the track. James II of England will have to remove the egg with a sledgehammer (攵) in order to be able to continue.

Words with 南轅北轍

南轅北轍 is not used as a component in another word.

Sentences with 南轅北轍

南轅北轍 currently does not appear in any sentence.