衔石填海 — “To carry stones to fill the sea”
衔石填海 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to persevere with unwavering determination to achieve a goal, even in the face of overwhelming odds; to make persistent, unyielding efforts”. Literally, “To carry stones to fill the sea”.
衔石填海 Pronunciation and Pinyin
衔石填海 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 衔石填海
Origin and Story of 衔石填海
According to ancient mythology, Nuwa, the youngest and most beloved daughter of Emperor Yan, drowned in the East Sea while swimming. Her soul transformed into a mythical bird called Jingwei.
Jingwei constantly flew from the Western Mountains, carrying small stones and twigs in its beak, and dropping them into the East Sea. It vowed to fill the entire East Sea to avenge itself. Though it flew back and forth tirelessly, it ultimately never managed to fill the vast ocean.
Idioms Related to 衔石填海
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 衔石填海
What does 衔石填海 mean?
衔石填海 (xián shí tián hǎi) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to persevere with unwavering determination to achieve a goal, even in the face of overwhelming odds; to make persistent, unyielding efforts”.
How do you pronounce 衔石填海?
衔石填海 is pronounced xián shí tián hǎi in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 衔石填海 literally mean?
Literally, 衔石填海 means “to carry stones to fill the sea”. It is used to mean “to persevere with unwavering determination to achieve a goal, even in the face of overwhelming odds; to make persistent, unyielding efforts”.
Where does 衔石填海 come from?
衔石填海 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 衔石填海?
比喻为实现既定目标，坚韧不拔地奋斗到底。