自力更生
自力更生 (zì lì gēng shēng) literally means “self-strength regenerate life” and expresses “self-reliance without external dependence”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving success and perseverance.
Also searched as: zi li geng sheng, zi li geng sheng,自力更生 meaning, 自力更生 in english
Self-reliance without external dependence
Pronunciation: zì lì gēng shēng Literal meaning: Self-strength regenerate life
Origin & Usage
By one's own strength (自力), renewed life (更生). The vocabulary is Buddhist in origin, where 更生 is rebirth, and the phrase acquired its modern weight entirely from twentieth-century politics: it was the standing formula for building without foreign assistance, and it belongs to that era in the way that few idioms belong to any. Chinese speakers still use it straightforwardly for personal independence, but the national resonance is never quite absent from it.
Examples
English: "After the economic embargo, the nation developed independent industrial capacity"
Chinese: 经济禁运后，这个国家发展了独立的工业能力
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about success & perseverance
自不量力
zì bù liàng lì
Overestimate abilities
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披荆斩棘
pī jīng zhǎn jí
Overcome all obstacles
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半途而废
bàn tú ér fèi
Quitting before completion
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力挽狂澜
lì wǎn kuáng lán
Heroically reversing catastrophic situation
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鼎力相助
dǐng lì xiāng zhù
Substantial support
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全力以赴
quán lì yǐ fù
Total commitment
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众口铄金
zhòng kǒu shuò jīn
Repeated by enough people, a falsehood passes for truth
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插翅难飞
chā chì nán fēi
Utterly impossible to escape
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 自力更生 mean in English?
自力更生 (zì lì gēng shēng) literally translates to “Self-strength regenerate life” and is used to express “Self-reliance without external dependence”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Success & Perseverance category.
When is 自力更生 used?
Situation: After the economic embargo, the nation developed independent industrial capacity
What is the pinyin for 自力更生?
The pinyin pronunciation for 自力更生 is “zì lì gēng shēng”.