10 Chinese Idioms Perfect for New Year Resolutions

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...

Practice what you know

Literal meaning: Knowledge and action unite as one

Popularized by Neo-Confucian philosopher Wang Yangming in the Ming Dynasty, this idiom unites knowledge (知) and action (行) as one (合一). Wang challenged the traditional separation between theoretical understanding and practical application, arguing that true knowledge inherently manifests in action. ...

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...

Heaven rewards diligence

Literal meaning: Heaven's way rewards diligence

This idiom encapsulates the belief that Heaven's way (天道) rewards (酬) diligence (勤). Emerging from Song Dynasty Neo-Confucian teachings, it reflects the synthesis of cosmic order with human effort. The concept challenged both fatalistic acceptance and the belief in pure luck, suggesting instead that...

Progress needs constant effort

Literal meaning: Boat moving against current

This idiom describes a boat (舟) moving (行) against (逆) the current (水), originally appearing in Tang Dynasty texts discussing persistence in difficult endeavors. The metaphor draws from the experience of river traders who understood that stopping meant drifting backward. During the Song Dynasty, it ...

Foresee big from small signs

Literal meaning: See small know large

First appearing in the Book of Changes, this idiom describes the ability to see (见) subtle signs (微) to understand (知) significant developments (著). During the Warring States period, strategist Sun Bin emphasized this principle in military observation. The concept gained broader application during t...

Fortune's wheel will turn.

Literal meaning: Time comes and fortune turns

This optimistic idiom describes the moment when time arrives (时来) and fortune turns (运转). It emerged from the practice of divination during the Zhou Dynasty, where fortune was seen as cyclical rather than fixed. The concept gained particular resonance during the Tang Dynasty, as stories spread of sc...

Create new from old

Literal meaning: Push old produce new

Originating in the Classic of Changes (I Ching), this phrase combines the actions of pushing away (推) the old or stale (陈) to bring forth (出) the new (新). During the Spring and Autumn period, it became a principle of scholarly innovation - respecting traditional knowledge while advancing new interpr...

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...

Linking tradition with innovation

Literal meaning: Receive past, initiate future

First appearing in Song Dynasty scholarly texts, this idiom describes receiving (承) what came before (前) while initiating (启) what follows (后). It gained prominence during the Neo-Confucian revival, where thinkers sought to adapt classical wisdom to contemporary challenges. The phrase perfectly capt...