铁杵成针 — “To grind an iron pestle into a needle”

铁杵成针 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to grind an iron pestle into a needle”. Signifies that with enough perseverance and diligent effort, one can achieve even the most difficult goals, emphasizing that persistence pays off. Literally, “iron pestle grinds into a needle”.

Frequency

铁杵成针 Pronunciation and Pinyin

铁杵成针 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
铁	tiě	10	iron metal or firm
杵	chǔ	8	wooden pestle; to poke
成	chéng	7	to become or succeed
针	zhēn	7	needle

Example Sentence with 铁杵成针

只要我们有铁杵成针的毅力，就没有克服不了的困难。

As long as we have the perseverance of grinding an iron pestle into a needle, there will be no difficulty that we cannot overcome.

Origin and Story of 铁杵成针

During the Tang Dynasty, the famous great poet Li Bai disliked studying when he was young. He often skipped school and wandered the streets. One day, Li Bai skipped school again, strolling around the streets and unconsciously found himself outside the city.

The warm sunshine, cheerful birds, and swaying flowers filled Li Bai with admiration. He thought, "What a beautiful day! How boring it would be to stay indoors reading all day?"

As he walked, he saw an old woman with white hair sitting by the door of a dilapidated hut, grinding an iron pestle as thick as a stick. Li Bai walked over and asked, "Grandma, what are you doing?"

The old woman looked up, smiled at Li Bai, and then lowered her head to continue grinding. "I want to grind this iron pestle into an embroidery needle."

"An embroidery needle?" Li Bai asked again. "Is it for sewing clothes?"

"Of course!"

"But this iron pestle is so thick. When will it ever become a fine embroidery needle?"

The old woman countered, "Dropping water can penetrate stone, and the Foolish Old Man could move mountains. Why can't an iron pestle be ground into an embroidery needle?"

"But you are already so old!"

"As long as I put in more effort than others, there's nothing that cannot be achieved."

The old woman's words deeply shamed Li Bai. After returning home, he never skipped school again. He studied diligently every day and eventually became the immortal poet whose fame would last for generations.