中流击楫 — “To strike the oar in midstream”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 中流击楫?

击：敲打；楫：浆。比喻立志奋发图强。

中流击楫 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to strike the oar in midstream”. Symbolizing a firm resolve and determination to achieve a great goal, often involving striving for self-improvement or recovering lost ground. Literally, “Strike the oar in midstream”.

Frequency

中流击楫 Pronunciation and Pinyin

中流击楫 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
中	zhōng	4	middle, in, China, hit, win
流	liú	10	to flow, circulate, or spread
击	jī	5	strike, hit, or beat
楫	jí	13	oar or paddle

Example Sentence with 中流击楫

小明在学习上遇到了困难，但他中流击楫，誓言一定要克服它，最终取得了优异的成绩。

Xiao Ming encountered difficulties in his studies, but he showed great resolve, vowing to overcome them, and eventually achieved excellent results.

Origin and Story of 中流击楫

During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Emperor Yuan established his reign in the south, while most of the northern and central plains were occupied by foreign tribes.

Zu Ti, a general, prepared to lead an army to recover the central plains. However, the imperial court only granted him the empty title of 'General Who Displays Awe.'

Despite this, Zu Ti led over a hundred of his family members across the Yangtze River for a northern expedition. In the middle of the river, he struck his oar against the boat, swearing an oath to recover the central plains.

Later, he indeed managed to reclaim a large amount of lost territory.

However, the Eastern Jin court ultimately had no desire to continue the fight.