How do you pronounce 知难而进?

知难而进 is pronounced as "zhī nán ér jìn" in Mandarin Chinese.

知难而进

Q: What does 知难而进 mean?

知难而进 (zhī nán ér jìn) literally means "Know difficulty yet advance" and metaphorically means "Press on despite awareness of challenges". It belongs to the Success & Perseverance category of Chinese idioms.

Q: When is 知难而进 used?

知难而进 is used when Despite understanding the challenges, she accepted the complex international assignment.

知难而进 (zhī nán ér jìn) literally means “know difficulty yet advance” and expresses “press on despite awareness of challenges”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving success and perseverance.

Also searched as: zhi nan er jin, zhi nan er jin,知难而进 meaning, 知难而进 in english

Press on despite awareness of challenges

Pronunciation: zhī nán ér jìn Literal meaning: Know difficulty yet advance

Origin & Usage

To know (知) the difficulty (难) and advance (进) anyway. It is built as the deliberate opposite of 知难而退, withdrawing in the face of difficulty, and the pair is used against each other constantly in Chinese. What both share is the first half: the knowing is not in dispute, and the phrase specifically excludes the person who pressed on because they had not understood what they were taking on. It is courage with the information already in hand.

Examples

English: "Despite understanding the challenges, she accepted the complex international assignment"

Chinese: 尽管了解其中的挑战，她还是接受了这个复杂的国际任务

Related Chinese Idioms

Similar idioms about success & perseverance

急流勇进

jí liú yǒng jìn

Advance boldly through difficulty

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风云际会

fēng yún jì huì

Perfect moment of opportunity

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时来运转

shí lái yùn zhuǎn

Fortune finally turns your way

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知难而退

zhī nán ér tuì

Back off once the difficulty is clear; often, give up when it gets hard

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难兄难弟

nán xiōng nán dì

Two brothers of equal merit; now often said ironically

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集腋成裘

jí yè chéng qiú

Small efforts make big results

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水到渠成

shuǐ dào qú chéng

Success comes naturally

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铁杵成针

tiě chǔ chéng zhēn

Success through persistence

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does 知难而进 mean in English?

知难而进 (zhī nán ér jìn) literally translates to “Know difficulty yet advance” and is used to express “Press on despite awareness of challenges”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Success & Perseverance category.