10 Chinese Idioms With Thousand (千) & Ten Thousand (万)

Keep promises faithfully

Literal: One promise thousand gold

Emerging from the Spring and Autumn period, this idiom equates one (一) promise (诺) with a thousand in gold (千金). It gained prominence through the story of Ji Zha, who honored a posthumous promise despite great personal cost. The concept became central to merchant culture during the Tang Dynasty, whe...

Perfected through repeated refinement

Literal: Thousand hammers hundred forges

This metallurgical metaphor describes something subjected to a thousand (千) hammer blows (锤) and a hundred (百) forgings (炼), originating from Han Dynasty descriptions of sword-making. Historical records detail how the finest blades required repeated folding and hammering to remove impurities and str...

Ever-changing; constantly varying

Literal: Thousand changes ten thousand transformations

This idiom uses the large numbers 'thousand' (千) and 'ten thousand' (万) with 'change' (变) and 'transform' (化) to describe constant flux. The hyperbolic numbers emphasize the endless variety of transformations. The phrase reflects Daoist philosophy regarding the ceaseless change underlying apparent s...

Travel a great distance

Literal: A thousand miles distant

This idiom describes a thousand (千) miles (里) being distant (迢迢). The doubled 迢 emphasizes the remoteness and length of the journey. The phrase captures the effort of traveling great distances. Modern usage describes coming from far away, emphasizing the dedication shown by traveling long distances ...

Willingly travel far; make great efforts

Literal: Not consider a thousand miles far

This idiom describes not (不) considering far (远) a thousand (千) miles (里). From Mencius describing the willingness to travel great distances for important purposes. The phrase emphasizes determination that overcomes distance. Modern usage describes the dedication shown by those willing to travel far...

A drop in the bucket; negligible amount

Literal: One hair from nine oxen

This idiom comes from a letter written by the great Han Dynasty historian Sima Qian (司马迁) to his friend Ren An. After being castrated as punishment for defending a disgraced general, Sima Qian wrote that his death would be as insignificant as losing one hair from nine oxen - utterly negligible in th...

Long-term plan; matter of lasting importance

Literal: Hundred-year great plan

This idiom describes a great (大) plan (计) spanning a hundred (百) years (年). It emphasizes long-term thinking and planning that extends beyond immediate concerns to future generations. The phrase appeared in texts discussing governance and national development. It reflects the Chinese cultural value ...

Everlasting; eternal

Literal: Heaven is long, earth is lasting

This idiom derives from Chapter 7 of the Daoist classic 'Tao Te Ching' (道德经) by Laozi: 'Heaven and earth are long-lasting.' The phrase uses the eternal nature of heaven (天) and earth (地) as metaphors for permanence and durability. It gained romantic connotations through Tang Dynasty poetry, particul...

Earth-shaking; tremendous

Literal: Startle heaven shake earth

This idiom describes something so significant it startles (惊) heaven (天) and shakes (动) earth (地). The cosmic scale of the metaphor indicates events of tremendous magnitude. The phrase appeared in historical texts describing momentous battles, natural disasters, or political upheavals. It represents...

Perfect accuracy every single time

Literal: Hundred shots hundred hits

This idiom originated from Tang Dynasty military assessments of elite archers who could hit the target (中) with every single shot (百发) fired. It first appeared in military texts describing the extraordinary precision achieved by master bowmen after decades of practice. During the Song Dynasty, it ex...