闻鸡起舞
闻鸡起舞 (wén jī qǐ wǔ) literally means “hear the rooster, rise and drill the sword” and expresses “practice with determination”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving success and perseverance.
Also searched as: wen ji qi wu, wen ji qi wu,闻鸡起舞 meaning, 闻鸡起舞 in english
Practice with determination
Pronunciation: wén jī qǐ wǔ Literal meaning: Hear the rooster, rise and drill the sword
Origin & Usage
Zu Ti and Liu Kun shared a bed as junior officials and shared an ambition to see the north recovered. The History of the Jin records that in the middle of the night Zu Ti heard (闻) a cock (鸡) crowing out of hours — an omen ordinarily counted unlucky — kicked Liu Kun awake and said this is not an evil sound. They got up (起) and drilled with their swords (舞) in the dark. The phrase is used of self-imposed discipline begun before anyone is watching, and both men went on to command armies.
Examples
English: "She practiced piano every morning before dawn to master her craft"
Chinese: 她每天黎明前练习钢琴以精进技艺
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about success & perseverance
鹤立鸡群
hè lì jī qún
Stand out from crowd
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杀鸡取卵
shā jī qǔ luǎn
Sacrifice long-term benefits for short-term gains
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呆若木鸡
dāi ruò mù jī
Completely stunned or dumbfounded
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鸡飞蛋打
jī fēi dàn dǎ
To lose everything; complete failure
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毛遂自荐
máo suì zì jiàn
Volunteer oneself confidently
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春蚕到死
chūn cán dào sǐ
Give out until nothing is left
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精卫填海
jīng wèi tián hǎi
Persist despite impossibility
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玉汝于成
yù rǔ yú chéng
Adversity is what finishes you
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 闻鸡起舞 mean in English?
闻鸡起舞 (wén jī qǐ wǔ) literally translates to “Hear the rooster, rise and drill the sword” and is used to express “Practice with determination”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Success & Perseverance category.
When is 闻鸡起舞 used?
Situation: She practiced piano every morning before dawn to master her craft
What is the pinyin for 闻鸡起舞?
The pinyin pronunciation for 闻鸡起舞 is “wén jī qǐ wǔ”.
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