How do you pronounce 一鼓作气?

一鼓作气 is pronounced as "yī gǔ zuò qì" in Mandarin Chinese.

一鼓作气

Q: What does 一鼓作气 mean?

一鼓作气 (yī gǔ zuò qì) literally means "One drum make spirit" and metaphorically means "Complete in one effort". It belongs to the Success & Perseverance category of Chinese idioms.

Q: When is 一鼓作气 used?

一鼓作气 is used when She wrote the entire proposal in one focused session.

一鼓作气 (yī gǔ zuò qì) literally means “one drum make spirit” and expresses “complete in one effort”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving success and perseverance.

Also searched as: yi gu zuo qi, yi gu zuo qi,一鼓作气 meaning, 一鼓作气 in english

Complete in one effort

Pronunciation: yī gǔ zuò qì Literal meaning: One drum make spirit

Origin & Usage

At the Battle of Changshao the strategist Cao Gui held Duke Zhuang of Lu back while the invading Qi army beat its drums, and attacked only on the third. His explanation to the duke afterwards became the phrase: 一鼓作气，再而衰，三而竭 — the first (一) drum (鼓) rouses (作) the fighting spirit (气), the second lets it flag, and by the third it is spent. The Zuo Zhuan records it. Modern usage urges finishing something in one sustained push while the first momentum still carries, and the two clauses that follow are what explain why.

Examples

English: "She wrote the entire proposal in one focused session"

Chinese: 她一气呵成地写完了整个提案

Related Chinese Idioms

Similar idioms about success & perseverance

一丝不苟

yī sī bù gǒu

Extremely careful and thorough

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一气呵成

yī qì hē chéng

Finished without a break in it

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趾高气扬

zhǐ gāo qì yáng

Strut arrogantly; be conceited

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一石二鸟

yī shí èr niǎo

Two goals with one action

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一言九鼎

yī yán jiǔ dǐng

Words carry great weight

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一叶障目

yī yè zhàng mù

Miss big picture

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一叶知秋

yī yè zhī qiū

Small signs show big picture

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功亏一篑

gōng kuī yī kuì

Fail due to giving up near the end

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does 一鼓作气 mean in English?

一鼓作气 (yī gǔ zuò qì) literally translates to “One drum make spirit” and is used to express “Complete in one effort”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Success & Perseverance category.

When is 一鼓作气 used?

Situation: She wrote the entire proposal in one focused session

What is the pinyin for 一鼓作气?

The pinyin pronunciation for 一鼓作气 is “yī gǔ zuò qì”.

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