10 Chinese Idioms About Overcoming Adversity

Public opinion is powerful

Literal meaning: Many mouths melt gold

This powerful metaphor suggests that numerous (众) mouths (口) speaking together can melt (铄) even gold (金). Originating in the Han Dynasty, it reflects the ancient Chinese understanding of public opinion's force. The image of collective voices generating enough heat to melt precious metal dramaticall...

Overcome all obstacles

Literal meaning: Cut thorns break brambles

This vivid idiom describes cutting through (披) thorny shrubs (荆) and hacking (斩) through brambles (棘), originating from historical accounts of early settlers clearing wilderness for cultivation. During the Han Dynasty, it became associated with the founding of new territories and opportunities. The ...

Utterly impossible to escape

Literal meaning: Add wings difficult fly

This vivid idiom suggests that even adding (插) wings (翅) wouldn't make escape possible (难飞), originating from Tang Dynasty prison terminology. Historical records describe how imperial prisons were designed so securely that the metaphorical addition of wings wouldn't enable flight. The phrase gained ...

Spread widely and rapidly on its own

Literal meaning: Without legs yet walks

This mysterious idiom describes something that walks/spreads (走) without (不) legs (胫), originating from Han Dynasty discussions of information dissemination. It first appeared in texts describing how news traveled rapidly through informal networks despite official efforts to control communication. T...

Quitting before completion

Literal meaning: Abandon halfway through journey

This unfinished idiom describes abandoning (废) a journey midway (半途), originating from Han Dynasty Confucian texts on perseverance. It first appeared in discussions about moral cultivation, emphasizing the importance of completing what one begins. During the Tang Dynasty, it gained prominence in edu...

Unable to hide amusement

Literal meaning: Cannot suppress a smile

This amused idiom describes being unable (不禁) to suppress (忍) a smile or laughter (俊), originating from Six Dynasties period literary descriptions. It first appeared in court chronicles describing officials maintaining composure despite amusing situations. The specific character '俊' originally refer...

True nature eventually revealed

Literal meaning: Fox's tail

This revealing idiom references a fox's (狐狸) tail (尾巴) as something hidden that eventually shows itself, originating from Tang Dynasty folklore where foxes could transform into humans but struggled to conceal their tails completely. These stories reflected the belief that true nature inevitably reve...

Sophisticated work appreciated by few

Literal meaning: Tune high harmony few

This cultural idiom observes that when a tune is too sophisticated (曲高), few can harmonize (和寡) with it. It originates from the 'Book of Han' biography of music master Li Yannian, whose complex compositions impressed Emperor Wu but remained inaccessible to ordinary listeners. During the Tang Dynasty...

Maintain high vigilance awaiting challenge

Literal meaning: Pillow spear await dawn

Among the ancient verses of the 'Book of Songs' (1000-600 BCE), this image of soldiers using spears as pillows (枕戈) while awaiting dawn (待旦) captured the essence of vigilant readiness. The concept of sacrificing comfort for security resonated deeply in ancient Chinese military thought. Han Dynasty t...

Self-reliance without external dependence

Literal meaning: Self-strength regenerate life

Buddhist concepts of spiritual self-regeneration took on powerful new meaning during China's early 20th century struggle for independence. This idea of using one's own strength (自力) to create renewed life (更生) became a national motto during the 1960s-70s when self-sufficiency was paramount. The phra...