愚公移山 yú gōng yí shān
the Foolish Old Man moves the mountain; perseverance can achieve the impossible
Literally: foolish old-man move mountain
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Origin
From the Liezi: a ninety-year-old man set out to dig away two mountains blocking his door, saying his descendants would finish the job; Heaven, moved, removed the mountains.
How to use it
Standalone or attributive; positive. 愚公移山的精神.
Example sentences
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- 他用愚公移山的精神,花了十年把这片荒地变成了果园。Tā yòng yú gōng yí shān de jīngshén, huā le shí nián bǎ zhè piàn huāngdì biàn chéng le guǒyuán.With the spirit of the Foolish Old Man, he spent ten years turning this wasteland into an orchard.he use foolish old-man move mountain (particle) spirit, spend (particle) ten year (object marker) this (measure) wasteland change into (particle) orchard
- 愚公移山的故事告诉我们,只要坚持就一定能成功。Yú gōng yí shān de gùshi gàosu wǒmen, zhǐyào jiānchí jiù yīdìng néng chénggōng.The story of the Foolish Old Man tells us that with persistence we can surely succeed.foolish old-man move mountain (particle) story tell us, as long as persist then surely can succeed
More chengyu about animals & fables
- 画蛇添足huà shé tiān zúto ruin something by adding what is superfluous; to gild the lily
- 对牛弹琴duì niú tán qínto cast pearls before swine; to talk to someone who cannot understand
- 守株待兔shǒu zhū dài tùto wait idly for a windfall; to trust to luck instead of effort
- 叶公好龙yè gōng hào lóngprofessed love of what one really fears; enthusiasm that is only skin-deep
- 拔苗助长bá miáo zhù zhǎngto spoil things through excessive enthusiasm; to try to hurry natural growth
- 刻舟求剑kè zhōu qiú jiànto act without regard to changed circumstances; rigid and foolish
- 画龙点睛huà lóng diǎn jīngto add the finishing touch that brings a work to life
- 指鹿为马zhǐ lù wéi mǎto call a deer a horse; to deliberately distort the truth