河清难俟 — “To describe an impossibly long wait”
河清难俟 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to describe an impossibly long wait”. To imply that something is unlikely to happen within one's lifetime or that waiting for it is futile due to its remote or indefinite nature. Literally, “Hard to wait for the Yellow River to clear”.
河清难俟 Pronunciation and Pinyin
河清难俟 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 河清难俟
Origin and Story of 河清难俟
During the Spring and Autumn period, Gongzi Ziguo and Gongzi Zier of the Zheng state launched a military campaign against the Cai state and achieved victory.
Ziguo's son, Zichan, was deeply concerned, fearing that the Chu state would retaliate against Zheng. Later, King Zhuang of Chu dispatched Gongzi Zhen to lead his troops to attack Zheng.
The then-ruler of Zheng, Zisi, cited a line from an ancient Zhou poem: 'How long must one wait for the Yellow River to clear? How long is a human life?' He used this to express the futility of prolonged resistance and advocated for surrendering to Chu, suggesting that waiting for a more favorable outcome was an impossibly long and unwise endeavor.
Idioms Related to 河清难俟
More idioms starting with 河
- hé河bù不chū出tú图A period of disorder or misrule
- hé河dōng东sān三qiè箧lost books collection
- hé河dōng东shī狮hǒu吼wife's fierce scolding
- hé河dōng东shī狮zi子a shrewish or jealous wife
- hé河dōng东shī狮zi子hǒu吼jealous wife's outburst of anger
- hé河bó伯wéi为huàn患corrupt practices cause harm
- hé河qīng倾yuè月luò落night drawing to a close
- hé河jué决yú鱼làn烂completely ruined and irreparable
- hé河chū出fú伏liú流hidden power erupts unstoppably
- hé河tóng同shuǐ水mì密inseparable and deeply connected
- hé河bēn奔hǎi海jù聚broad thinking, eloquent writing
- hé河shān山zhī之dé德a woman's noble virtues and graceful demeanor
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Open the tool →Questions about 河清难俟
What does 河清难俟 mean?
河清难俟 (hé qīng nán sì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to describe an impossibly long wait”.
How do you pronounce 河清难俟?
河清难俟 is pronounced hé qīng nán sì in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 河清难俟 literally mean?
Literally, 河清难俟 means “Hard to wait for the Yellow River to clear”. It is used to mean “to describe an impossibly long wait”.
Where does 河清难俟 come from?
河清难俟 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 河清难俟?
俟：等待。很难等到黄河水清。比喻时间太长，难以等待。