10 Powerful Chinese Idioms About Perseverance & Never Giving Up

Unshakeable despite adversity

Literal meaning: Bend hundred times never yield

Dating to the Warring States period, this idiom describes bamboo that bends a hundred (百) times (折) but never (不) yields (挠). The imagery comes from ancient observations of bamboo groves surviving severe storms by bending rather than breaking. The metaphor gained particular significance during the T...

Persistence achieves anything

Literal meaning: Water drops pierce stone

This idiom captures the power of persistence through the image of water (水) drops (滴) piercing (穿) stone (石). First documented in Han Dynasty texts, it was inspired by observations of natural cave formations created by centuries of dripping water. The imagery gained prominence during the Tang Dynast...

Persevere until success

Literal meaning: Carve and not stop

This idiom originates from the story of an ancient man who attempted to carve (锲) through a mountain with unwavering persistence (不舍). Recorded in pre-Qin texts, it exemplifies the classical Chinese virtue of perseverance through seemingly impossible tasks. The character 锲 specifically refers to car...

Success through persistence

Literal meaning: Iron rod becomes needle

The tale of an elderly woman grinding an iron (铁) pestle (杵) into a needle (针) dates to the Northern Song Dynasty. When Li Bai saw her task, she explained that with enough persistence, even the impossible becomes possible. Her story became so influential that the actual grinding stone was preserved ...

Persist despite impossibility

Literal meaning: Bird fills sea with pebbles

This poignant idiom comes from an ancient myth about Nüwa's daughter, who drowned in the Eastern Sea and became a bird (精卫) determined to fill (填) the sea (海) with pebbles. The story first appeared in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, symbolizing unwavering determination against overwhelming odds. ...

Strive continuously for self-improvement

Literal meaning: Self-strengthen without ceasing

This motivational idiom advocates constantly (不息) strengthening (强) oneself (自), originating from the Classic of Changes during the early Zhou Dynasty. It represented one of the fundamental virtues attributed to Heaven's ceaseless motion and energy. Confucian scholars later emphasized it as the supe...

Endure hardship for future success

Literal meaning: Sleep on firewood, taste gall

This perseverance idiom combines two historical stories of determined revenge. It references King Goujian of Yue who slept on brushwood (卧薪) to remember his humiliation and Wu Zixu who tasted bile (尝胆) to never forget his family's execution. After being defeated and enslaved by King Fuchai of Wu, Go...

Persistence overcomes huge obstacles

Literal meaning: Foolish old man moves mountains

This persistent idiom tells of a determined old man (愚公) who began removing (移) mountains (山) that blocked his path, originating from the 'Liezi' during the Warring States period. When ridiculed for attempting such an impossible task at his advanced age, he replied that while he might die, his desce...

Work harder to compensate

Literal meaning: Slow bird flies first

This disarmingly simple idiom emerged from folk wisdom observing that slow (笨) birds (鸟) must start first (先飞) to reach their destination with the flock. During the Song Dynasty, it gained prominence in educational texts as encouragement for students who weren't naturally gifted. The imagery challen...

Success after long preparation

Literal meaning: Thick accumulation thin launch

This idiom compares patient accumulation (积) of deep (厚) knowledge with the eventual release (发) that requires minimal (薄) effort. It emerged during the Tang Dynasty literary circles, where scholars emphasized sustained preparation over hasty creation. Historical accounts describe how poet Du Fu spe...