铁杵磨成针 — “To achieve success through persistent effort and perseverance”
铁杵磨成针 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to achieve success through persistent effort and perseverance”. To show that with enough patience and determination, even the most difficult tasks can be accomplished. Literally, “An iron pestle ground into a needle”.
铁杵磨成针 Pronunciation and Pinyin
铁杵磨成针 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 铁杵磨成针
Origin and Story of 铁杵磨成针
During the Tang Dynasty, the famous poet Li Bai was not a diligent student in his youth. He often threw his books aside and went out to play.
One day, Li Bai encountered an old woman with white hair who was grinding a large iron pestle on a stone. Curious, he asked her what she was doing.
The old woman told him she was trying to grind it into an embroidery needle.
Deeply moved by her perseverance, Li Bai studied hard from then on and eventually became a great literary figure.
Idioms Related to 铁杵磨成针
Synonyms of 铁杵磨成针
More idioms starting with 铁
- tiě铁zhōng中zhēng铮zhēng铮an outstanding talent
- tiě铁fú佛shāng伤xīn心，，shí石rén人luò落lèi泪profoundly tragic, moving even the inanimate
- tiě铁gōng公jī鸡an extremely stingy person
- tiě铁zuǐ嘴gāng钢yá牙eloquent and articulate debater
- tiě铁bì壁tóng铜qiáng墙impenetrable fortress
- tiě铁bì壁tóng铜shān山formidable and reliable power
- tiě铁xīn心mù木cháng肠extremely resolute and unyielding
- tiě铁xīn心shí石cháng肠utterly unfeeling or hard-hearted
- tiě铁xīn心tiě铁yì意absolutely determined and unwavering
- tiě铁dǎ打xīn心cháng肠to have a heart of steel
- tiě铁dǎ打tóng铜zhù铸extremely sturdy and durable
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Open the tool →Questions about 铁杵磨成针
What does 铁杵磨成针 mean?
铁杵磨成针 (tiě chǔ mó chéng zhēn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to achieve success through persistent effort and perseverance”.
How do you pronounce 铁杵磨成针?
铁杵磨成针 is pronounced tiě chǔ mó chéng zhēn in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 铁杵磨成针 literally mean?
Literally, 铁杵磨成针 means “an iron pestle ground into a needle”. It is used to mean “to achieve success through persistent effort and perseverance”.
Where does 铁杵磨成针 come from?
铁杵磨成针 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 铁杵磨成针?
杵：舂米或捶衣用的棒。将铁棒磨成细针。比喻只要有恒心，肯努力，做任何事情都能成功。