凿壁偷光
凿壁偷光 (záo bì tōu guāng) literally means “pierce wall steal light” and expresses “study despite poverty”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving success and perseverance.
Also searched as: zao bi tou guang, zao bi tou guang,凿壁偷光 meaning, 凿壁偷光 in english
Study despite poverty
Pronunciation: záo bì tōu guāng Literal meaning: Pierce wall steal light
Origin & Usage
Kuang Heng's family could not afford lamp oil, so he bored (凿) a hole in the party wall (壁) and stole (偷) the light (光) that came through from the neighbour's side. The account is in the Miscellany of the Western Capital, which adds that he hired himself out to a rich household and asked to be paid in access to their books rather than in money. He rose to be chancellor. The phrase is used of study pursued without the means for it, and Chinese schoolchildren still learn it.
Examples
English: "The student studied by streetlight when electricity was unavailable"
Chinese: 没有电的时候，这个学生在路灯下学习
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about success & perseverance
光宗耀祖
guāng zōng yào zǔ
Bring family pride
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浮光掠影
fú guāng lüè yǐng
Superficial impression without depth
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偷梁换柱
tōu liáng huàn zhù
Deceive by substitution
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胸有丘壑
xiōng yǒu qiū hè
Have great vision
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运筹帷幄
yùn chóu wéi wò
Plan strategy carefully
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披荆斩棘
pī jīng zhǎn jí
Overcome all obstacles
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悬梁刺股
xuán liáng cì gǔ
Study extremely hard
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通宵达旦
tōng xiāo dá dàn
Work through the entire night
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 凿壁偷光 mean in English?
凿壁偷光 (záo bì tōu guāng) literally translates to “Pierce wall steal light” and is used to express “Study despite poverty”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Success & Perseverance category.
When is 凿壁偷光 used?
Situation: The student studied by streetlight when electricity was unavailable
What is the pinyin for 凿壁偷光?
The pinyin pronunciation for 凿壁偷光 is “záo bì tōu guāng”.
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