衔沙填海 — “To hold sand in one's mouth and fill the sea”
衔沙填海 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to persevere with unwavering determination and immense effort to achieve a goal, no matter how daunting or seemingly impossible the task may be; to undertake a Sisyphean task with unyielding resolve”. Literally, “To hold sand in one's mouth and fill the sea”.
衔沙填海 Pronunciation and Pinyin
衔沙填海 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 衔沙填海
Origin and Story of 衔沙填海
According to ancient mythology, the Yan Emperor's cherished youngest daughter, Nüwa, tragically drowned in the East Sea. Her soul then transformed into a bird known as Jingwei.
This bird would constantly fly from the West Mountains, carrying small pebbles and twigs in her beak, which she would then drop into the vast East Sea. She swore to fill the ocean as a form of revenge for her death.
Jingwei continued this arduous and seemingly endless task, flying back and forth tirelessly, but despite her relentless efforts, she never succeeded in filling the immense East Sea.
Idioms Related to 衔沙填海
Synonyms of 衔沙填海
More idioms starting with 衔
- xián衔yuān冤fù负qū屈harbor injustice and suffer wrong
- xián衔yǒng勇tāo韬lì力Conceal prowess, bide time
- xián衔huá华pèi佩shí实excellent in both form and content
- xián衔kǒu口diàn垫bèi背Prepare for burial
- xián衔āi哀zhì致chéng诚convey profound sincerity with deep sorrow
- xián衔wěi尾xiāng相shǔ属following in a continuous line
- xián衔wěi尾xiāng相suí随following closely in a line
- xián衔hèn恨jiǔ九yuán原die with lingering regret
- xián衔hèn恨méng蒙wǎng枉harbor resentment and suffer injustice
- xián衔bēi悲rú茹hèn恨harbor deep sorrow and bitter resentment
- xián衔bēi悲xù蓄hèn恨Harbor deep sorrow and resentment
- xián衔méi枚jí疾zǒu走march swiftly and silently
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Open the tool →Questions about 衔沙填海
What does 衔沙填海 mean?
衔沙填海 (xián shā tián hǎi) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to persevere with unwavering determination and immense effort to achieve a goal, no matter how daunting or seemingly impossible the task may be; to undertake a Sisyphean task with unyielding resolve”.
How do you pronounce 衔沙填海?
衔沙填海 is pronounced xián shā tián hǎi in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 衔沙填海 literally mean?
Literally, 衔沙填海 means “to hold sand in one's mouth and fill the sea”. It is used to mean “to persevere with unwavering determination and immense effort to achieve a goal, no matter how daunting or seemingly impossible the task may be; to undertake a Sisyphean task with unyielding resolve”.
Where does 衔沙填海 come from?
衔沙填海 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 衔沙填海?
犹言衔石填海。比喻为实现既定目标，坚韧不拔地奋斗到底。