夸父逐日 — “To pursue an extremely ambitious or seemingly impossible goal”

夸父逐日 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to pursue an extremely ambitious or seemingly impossible goal”. Often with great determination but sometimes implying overestimation of one's own capabilities. Literally, “Kuafu chasing the sun”.

Frequency

夸父逐日 Pronunciation and Pinyin

夸父逐日 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
夸	kuā	6	boast or praise
父	fù	4	father, male elder
逐	zhú	11	expel, pursue, or one by one
日	rì	4	sun, day, Japan

Example Sentence with 夸父逐日

那个年轻的创业者，虽然资金和经验都有限，却有着夸父逐日般的雄心，渴望在短时间内改变整个行业。

That young entrepreneur, despite limited funds and experience, possesses an ambition akin to Kuafu chasing the sun, eager to transform the entire industry in a short time.

Origin and Story of 夸父逐日

This is one of China's earliest famous myths, telling the story of Kuafu's strenuous pursuit of the sun and his eventual demise in Yu Abyss. Kuafu was a giant in ancient mythological legends, a descendant of Houtu, the god of the underworld. He lived in the Chengdu Zaitian Mountains in the northern wilderness. With two yellow snakes hanging from his ears and holding two yellow snakes in his hands, he set out to chase the sun.

As he reached Yu Valley, where the sun was about to set, he felt parched. He drank all the water from the Yellow River and the Wei River, but his thirst was still not quenched. He then intended to drink from the great northern marsh, but he died of thirst before reaching it.

In his dying moments, Kuafu threw down his staff, which immediately transformed into a lush peach forest, laden with fresh fruits, providing refreshment for future generations who would pursue light and overcome their thirst.