十年寒窗

Pronunciation: shí nián hán chuāng Literal meaning: Ten years of cold windows

Origin & Usage

Ten years (十年) at a cold (寒) window (窗) — unheated, because warming a study through a northern winter cost money, and the window because that was where the light was. The phrase belongs to the examination system, and its companion line states the bargain exactly: 十年窗下无人问，一举成名天下知 — ten years beneath the window with nobody asking after you, then one success and the whole world knows your name. It is still what Chinese reaches for about the years before a result.

Examples

English: "He studied diligently for a decade, only to achieve great success in his exams."

Chinese: 他在寒窗十年后终于考上了大学。