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rì 日 jī 积 yuè 月 lěi 累

日积月累 rì jī yuè lěi

to build up over time; accumulated day by day

Literally: day accumulate month pile-up

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Origin

Descriptive; no single source story. Attested in Song dynasty writing about gradual accumulation of learning.

How to use it

Predicate, attributive or adverbial; positive. Often 日积月累的努力 / 靠日积月累.

Example sentences

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  1. 学外语没有什么好办法，只能日积月累，每天记几个词。
    Xué wàiyǔ méiyǒu shénme hǎo bànfǎ, zhǐ néng rì jī yuè lěi, měi tiān jì jǐ gè cí.
    There's no shortcut to learning a foreign language; you can only build it up day by day, memorising a few words each day.
    learn foreign-language not-have what good method, only can day accumulate month pile-up, every day remember several (measure) word
  2. 他的知识是日积月累得来的，不是一天学会的。
    Tā de zhīshi shì rì jī yuè lěi dé lái de, bù shì yī tiān xuéhuì de.
    His knowledge was built up over a long time, not learned in a day.
    he (particle) knowledge is day accumulate month pile-up obtain come (particle), not is one day learn-master (particle)

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