日积月累

Pronunciation: rì jī yuè lěi Literal meaning: Days pile months gather

Origin & Usage

Piled up (积) by the day (日), accumulated (累) by the month (月). Its usefulness is that it names the timescale rather than the effort — what it describes is not diligence but duration. Chinese uses it in both directions, which is worth noticing. Skill and savings accumulate this way, and so do bad habits, structural problems and debt, and the phrase is as common in warnings as in encouragement.

Examples

English: "Her language skills improved through daily practice over years"

Chinese: 她的语言能力通过多年的日常练习得到提高