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心有余而力不足
心有余而力不足
心有余而力不足
心有余而力不足
心有余而力不足
心有余而力不足
心有余而力不足
心有余而力不足
心有余而力不足
心有余而力不足

心有余而力不足 — “The heart has the desire, but the strength is insufficient”

心有余而力不足 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to have the will or desire to do something, but lack the physical strength, ability, or resources to accomplish it; willing but unable”. Literally, “The heart has the desire, but the strength is insufficient”.

Frequency

心有余而力不足 Pronunciation and Pinyin

  • 心xīn
  • 有yǒu
  • 余yú
  • 而ér
  • 力lì
  • 不bù
  • 足zú

心有余而力不足 Character Breakdown

CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
心
xīn4heart, mind, core
有
yǒu6to have or to exist
余
yú7I, me, remaining, after
而
ér6and, but, then
力
lì2physical strength or power
不
bù4not
足
zú7foot, sufficient, full

Example Sentence with 心有余而力不足

他很想帮助大家完成这个项目,但最近身体不适,真是心有余而力不足啊。
He really wanted to help everyone complete this project, but he hasn't been feeling well recently, so he's willing in spirit but powerless in deed.

Idioms Related to 心有余而力不足

Synonyms of 心有余而力不足

  • ài爱mò莫néng能zhù助willing to help but powerless

Antonyms of 心有余而力不足

  • yú余yǒng勇kě可gǔ贾still have strength to expend
  • xíng行yǒu有yú余lì力have energy or time to spare

More idioms starting with 心

  • xīn心shàng上xīn心xià下feeling uneasy and agitated
  • xīn心bù不liǎng两yòng用Cannot focus on two things at once
  • xīn心bù不zài在yān焉absent-minded or not paying attention
  • xīn心bù不yīng应kǒu口to say one thing but mean another
  • xīn心bù不yóu由zhǔ主lose self-control due to strong emotions
  • xīn心bù不yóu由jǐ己against one's will
  • xīn心bù不yóu由yì意act against one's true intention
  • xīn心bù不fù负rén人,,miàn面wú无cán惭sè色clear conscience, unashamed look
  • xīn心zhōng中wú无shù数to be uncertain
  • xīn心zhōng中yǒu有shù数know what's what
  • xīn心zhōng中méi没dǐ底feel uncertain or lack confidence
  • xīn心wèi为xíng形yì役Mind enslaved by worldly concerns

Questions about 心有余而力不足

What does 心有余而力不足 mean?
心有余而力不足 (xīn yǒu yú ér lì bù zú) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to have the will or desire to do something, but lack the physical strength, ability, or resources to accomplish it; willing but unable”.
How do you pronounce 心有余而力不足?
心有余而力不足 is pronounced xīn yǒu yú ér lì bù zú in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 心有余而力不足 literally mean?
Literally, 心有余而力不足 means “the heart has the desire, but the strength is insufficient”. It is used to mean “to have the will or desire to do something, but lack the physical strength, ability, or resources to accomplish it; willing but unable”.
What is the Chinese definition of 心有余而力不足?
心里非常想做,但是力量不够。
Copy the pinyin for 心有余而力不足 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.

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