<p>I don't know about the phrase "tapping in the dark" because my limited English.</p>

<p>But 摸着石头过河 basically means try to do something via trials and errors. So my translation would be:</p>

<p>No, I have no idea, I'm still learning while doing it/I'm just trying to do what I can.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-26T02:16:51.837Z
'tapping in the dark' means moving forward like a blind man, you can't see the way ahead, you have to feel your way by tapping your feet forward. Used figuratively, it means just what you said 'via trial and errors because I don't really know how to do this'
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-26T02:23:52.880Z
Then I guess the translationis okey
user1228520
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-26T12:43:13.957Z
see online dictionaries，iciba has entry for  摸着石头过河  with ６ sample sentences containing this phrase， also there is a 百科 article about it which is copied by iciba
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-26T13:28:39.363Z
Personally, I don't really trust ICIBA when it comes to phrases like this. Many of its samples are aggregated with poor translations created by machines without human proof reading and appropriate references (few of them are from oxford or collins dictionaries but most of then are simple "via the Internet" and there isn't even a link). It may help you get a general idea of a phrase, but far from translating or using it naturally.

I normally would look it up in one or more creditable dictionaries and then try to do some research online to find the appropriate expression in the other language.
user1228520
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-26T14:37:01.200Z
anyhow iciba contains above answer:她感到抚养孩子就像是摸着石头过河。She feels that raising her children has been a matter of trial and error.
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-26T01:59:51.977Z
2015-02-26T01:59:51.977Z
user1228520
<p>The literal translation of this idiom is something along the lines of, "feeling stones while crossing a river":</p>

<ul>
<li>摸 — <em>mō</em>, to feel or grope.</li>
<li>着 — <em>zhe</em>, a particle denoting an action in progress. When combined with the previous character, you get 摸着, meaning "(currently) feeling".</li>
<li>石头 — <em>shítou</em>, stone(s).</li>
<li>过 — <em>guò</em>, which has a few different meanings but here means "to cross"</li>
<li>河 — <em>hé</em>, river.</li>
</ul>

<p>Figuratively, what it means is "to figure things out as you go along", as if you were wading through a river by feeling the stones on the riverbed with your feet.</p>

<p>To give an example, my understanding is that this phrase was often used to describe the economic policy of Dèng Xiǎopíng (邓小平), who was the leader of China after the death of Máo Zédōng (毛泽东). He <a href="http://blog.chinesehour.com/?p=815" rel="nofollow">used it</a> to describe the sort of experimental, gradual reforms that brought China to the economic position it's in today.</p>

<p>Your phrase (哪里呀，我也是没办法，摸着石头过河罢了) is a bit difficult to translate without context, but it seems to mean something like, "There's nothing I can do about it either, I'm just figuring things out as I go along, that's all."</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-26T20:36:51.700Z
2015-02-26T20:48:49.583Z
2015-02-26T20:48:49.583Z
Kronopath
<p>I have: <code>哪里呀，我也是没办法，摸着石头过河罢了！</code></p>

<p>Is <code>摸着石头过河</code> 'tapping in the dark'?</p>

<p>No, I don't know how, I'm still tapping in the dark.</p>

<meaning>
What is the meaning of 摸着石头过河
# What is the meaning of 摸着石头过河

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-02-26)

I have: `哪里呀，我也是没办法，摸着石头过河罢了！`

Is `摸着石头过河` 'tapping in the dark'?

No, I don't know how, I'm still tapping in the dark.

**Tags:** meaning


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-02-26. Score: 6

I don't know about the phrase "tapping in the dark" because my limited English.

But 摸着石头过河 basically means try to do something via trials and errors. So my translation would be:

No, I have no idea, I'm still learning while doing it/I'm just trying to do what I can.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: 'tapping in the dark' means moving forward like a blind man, you can't see the way ahead, you have to feel your way by tapping your feet forward. Used figuratively, it means just what you said 'via trial and errors because I don't really know how to do this'  
> **username_1**: Then I guess the translationis okey  
> **username_2**: see online dictionaries，iciba has entry for  摸着石头过河  with ６ sample sentences containing this phrase， also there is a 百科 article about it which is copied by iciba  
> **username_1**: Personally, I don't really trust ICIBA when it comes to phrases like this. Many of its samples are aggregated with poor translations created by machines without human proof reading and appropriate references (few of them are from oxford or collins dictionaries but most of then are simple "via the Internet" and there isn't even a link). It may help you get a general idea of a phrase, but far from translating or using it naturally.  I normally would look it up in one or more creditable dictionaries and then try to do some research online to find the appropriate expression in the other language.  
> **username_2**: anyhow iciba contains above answer:她感到抚养孩子就像是摸着石头过河。She feels that raising her children has been a matter of trial and error.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2015-02-26. Score: 3

The literal translation of this idiom is something along the lines of, "feeling stones while crossing a river":

* 摸 — *mō*, to feel or grope.
* 着 — *zhe*, a particle denoting an action in progress. When combined with the previous character, you get 摸着, meaning "(currently) feeling".
* 石头 — *shítou*, stone(s).
* 过 — *guò*, which has a few different meanings but here means "to cross"
* 河 — *hé*, river.

Figuratively, what it means is "to figure things out as you go along", as if you were wading through a river by feeling the stones on the riverbed with your feet.

To give an example, my understanding is that this phrase was often used to describe the economic policy of Dèng Xiǎopíng (邓小平), who was the leader of China after the death of Máo Zédōng (毛泽东). He [used it](http://blog.chinesehour.com/?p=815) to describe the sort of experimental, gradual reforms that brought China to the economic position it's in today.

Your phrase (哪里呀，我也是没办法，摸着石头过河罢了) is a bit difficult to translate without context, but it seems to mean something like, "There's nothing I can do about it either, I'm just figuring things out as I go along, that's all."


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