What's the difference between these two Chinese idioms?
百折不挠 emphasizes not breaking despite setbacks, while 锲而不舍 emphasizes never stopping the effort. One is about resilience, the other about persistence.
bǎi zhé bù náo
“Unshakeable despite adversity”
Literally: Broken a hundred times, never bending
Cai Yong wrote it on Qiao Xuan's memorial stele: his nature was grave, he disliked show and held to the plain, and he had the bearing of a man who could be broken (折) a hundred (百) times and would not (不) bend (挠), who faced a crisis and could not be moved from his ground. 折 is setbacks rather than ...
Example: Despite numerous rejections, she never gave up on her dreams
Chinese: 尽管屡次被拒绝，她从未放弃梦想
qiè ér bù shě
“Persevere until success”
Literally: Carve and not stop
This comes from the Xunzi: carve and give up, and rotten wood will not break; carve (锲) without ceasing (不舍), and metal and stone can be worked. The contrast is deliberate — persistence beats material, and abandoning the attempt defeats even the easy case. It is about the carving of metal and stone,...
Example: Despite repeated failures, the researcher continued his experiments with determination
Chinese: 尽管屡次失败，研究员仍然坚持不懈地进行实验
| Aspect | 百折不挠 | 锲而不舍 |
|---|---|---|
| Pinyin | bǎi zhé bù náo | qiè ér bù shě |
| Literal Meaning | Broken a hundred times, never bending | Carve and not stop |
| Used For | Unshakeable despite adversity | Persevere until success |
| Theme | Success & Perseverance | Success & Perseverance |
| Example | Despite numerous rejections, she never gave up on her dreams | Despite repeated failures, the researcher continued his experiments with determination |
百折不挠 emphasizes not breaking despite setbacks, while 锲而不舍 emphasizes never stopping the effort. One is about resilience, the other about persistence.
百折不挠 literally means "Broken a hundred times, never bending" and is used to describe "Unshakeable despite adversity." Cai Yong wrote it on Qiao Xuan's memorial stele: his nature was grave, he disliked show and held to the plain, and he had the bearing of a man who could be broken (折) a hundred (百) times and would not
锲而不舍 literally means "Carve and not stop" and is used to describe "Persevere until success." This comes from the Xunzi: carve and give up, and rotten wood will not break; carve (锲) without ceasing (不舍), and metal and stone can be worked. The contrast is deliberate — persistence beats material
Use 百折不挠 when you want to emphasize "Unshakeable despite adversity." Use 锲而不舍 when you want to emphasize "Persevere until success." 百折不挠 emphasizes not breaking despite setbacks, while 锲而不舍 emphasizes never stopping the effort. One is about resilience, the other about persistence.
百折不挠 stresses surviving repeated failures, while 坚持不懈 focuses on continuous effort without slacking. Resilience vs discipline.
愚公移山 is about moving an immovable obstacle through generational effort, while 百折不挠 is about personal resilience through repeated setbacks. Both are about never giving up, but 愚公移山 is collective and 百折不挠 is individual.
锲而不舍 (carving without stopping) implies active effort, while 持之以恒 (maintain constancy) implies steady consistency. Intensity vs steadiness.