独木难支
独木难支 (dú mù nán zhī) literally means “one beam cannot prop a falling house” and expresses “insufficient individual effort”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: du mu nan zhi, du mu nan zhi,独木难支 meaning, 独木难支 in english
Insufficient individual effort
Pronunciation: dú mù nán zhī Literal meaning: One beam cannot prop a falling house
Origin & Usage
A single (独) timber (木) cannot easily (难) prop up (支) a building, and the phrase is usually given in full with the thing it is failing to hold: 大厦将倾，独木难支 — the great hall is coming down and one beam will not stop it. The image is structural rather than moral. It is not about weakness but about load distribution, which is why it fits a competent person in a failing institution: the point is that no individual effort is the right size for the problem.
Examples
English: "In times of crisis, relying solely on one person can lead to failure."
Chinese: 在危机时刻，单靠一个人是难以支撑的。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
心花怒放
xīn huā nù fàng
Extreme joy
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逼上梁山
bī shàng liáng shān
Compelled to rebel
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放虎归山
fàng hǔ guī shān
Empower a threat
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含辛茹苦
hán xīn rú kǔ
Persevere through adversity
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快马加鞭
kuài mǎ jiā biān
Accelerate progress
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全力以赴
quán lì yǐ fù
Total commitment
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忍辱负重
rěn rǔ fù zhòng
Bear disgrace to discharge a duty
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十年寒窗
shí nián hán chuāng
Diligent study
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 独木难支 mean in English?
独木难支 (dú mù nán zhī) literally translates to “One beam cannot prop a falling house” and is used to express “Insufficient individual effort”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 独木难支 used?
Situation: In times of crisis, relying solely on one person can lead to failure.
What is the pinyin for 独木难支?
The pinyin pronunciation for 独木难支 is “dú mù nán zhī”.