How to say "to feel in one's pocket and take sth (idiom)" in Chinese
探囊取物
tàn náng qǔ wù
social · communication · intermediate · neutral
When To Use It
"to feel in one's pocket and take sth (idiom)" maps to 探囊取物 (tàn náng qǔ wù), a neutral social phrase for communication situations.
Use it when you need to keep a conversation moving despite a language gap, unclear wording, or missing context.
Practice it first exactly as written, then swap in your own people, places, or objects so it becomes part of your active speaking repertoire.
Tone And Delivery
The register is neutral, which makes it flexible: safe in most daily situations without sounding stiff or overly intimate.
Because this is marked intermediate, focus on when it sounds natural, not just how to translate it word for word.
A good practice target is the example sentence 探囊取物 (tàn náng qǔ wù). Once that feels natural, shorten your pause and try it at conversation speed.
Practice Ideas
This phrase becomes more useful when you learn it as part of a mini-sequence. After saying it, a natural next step could be 孙子兵法 (sūn zi bīng fǎ).
A second nearby phrase to review is 吊瓶族 (diào píng zú), which helps you stay in the same topic instead of translating from scratch again.
- Read the example “to feel in one's pocket and take sth (idiom)” aloud, then replace one detail with your own information.
- Pair it with ““Art of War”, one of the Seven Military Classics of ancient China 武經七書|武经七书[Wu3 jing1 Qi1 shu1], written by Sun Tzu 孫子|孙子[Sun1 zi3]” next so your conversation does not stop after a single line.
- Match the phrase to your tone of voice: soft for polite requests, flatter and quicker for routine daily use.
- If you hear a slightly different version in the wild, compare the tone and context before treating it as interchangeable.
Examples
探囊取物
tàn náng qǔ wù
to feel in one's pocket and take sth (idiom)
Related
- “Art of War”, one of the Seven Military Classics of ancient China 武經七書|武经七书[Wu3 jing1 Qi1 shu1], written by Sun Tzu 孫子|孙子[Sun1 zi3] — 孙子兵法 (sūn zi bīng fǎ)
- "infusion clan", patients who prefer medication by drip rather than orally or by injection etc — 吊瓶族 (diào píng zú)
- "magnetic" force that attracts investment and talented individuals — 磁吸效应 (cí xī xiào yìng)
- "matchmaking corner", a gathering in a park for parents who seek marriage partners for their adult children by connecting with other parents who put up posters displaying their unmarried child's details — 相亲角 (xiāng qīn jiǎo)
Explore more phrases on the How to say index or try the Chinese Name Generator.
Phrase FAQ
How do you say "to feel in one's pocket and take sth (idiom)" in Chinese?
探囊取物 (tàn náng qǔ wù).
When should I use this phrase?
Use it in communication situations where a neutral tone fits. Because it is tagged intermediate, it is meant to be practical and reusable rather than literary or highly specialized.
Is pronunciation included?
Yes. Every phrase page includes pinyin with tone marks, plus example sentences so you can hear how the wording expands in real use.
What should I learn next after this phrase?
A useful follow-up is 孙子兵法 (sūn zi bīng fǎ) — "“Art of War”, one of the Seven Military Classics of ancient China 武經七書|武经七书[Wu3 jing1 Qi1 shu1], written by Sun Tzu 孫子|孙子[Sun1 zi3]". Studying connected phrases in small clusters makes them easier to recall in conversation.