踏破鐵鞋無覓處,得來全不費工夫

Chinese edit

One can wear out iron shoes searching for something with no success.; One will search high and low only to find it when one least expects to.
 
get; obtain; gain
get; obtain; gain; proper; suitable; proud; contented; allow; permit; ready; finished; a sentence particle used after a verb to show effect; degree or possibility; to have to; must; ought to; to need to
to come
 
all; whole; entire
all; whole; entire; every; complete
not; no
 
to take time and energy; to be time-consuming; to be exacting; to be demanding
trad. (踏破鐵鞋無覓處,得來全不費工夫) 踏破鐵鞋無覓處 費工夫
simp. (踏破铁鞋无觅处,得来全不费工夫) 踏破铁鞋无觅处 费工夫
Literally: “One can wear out iron shoes searching for something with no success, only to acquire it by accident through no effort of one's own”.

Pronunciation edit


  • Mandarin
    • (Standard Chinese)+
      • Hanyu Pinyin: tàpò tiěxié wú mìchù, délái quán bù fèigōngfu [Phonetic: tàpò tiěxié wú mìchù, délái quán fèigōngfu]
      • Zhuyin: ㄊㄚˋ ㄆㄛˋ ㄊㄧㄝˇ ㄒㄧㄝˊ ㄨˊ ㄇㄧˋ ㄔㄨˋ , ㄉㄜˊ ㄌㄞˊ ㄑㄩㄢˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄟˋ ㄍㄨㄥ ˙ㄈㄨ
      • Tongyong Pinyin: tàpò tiěsié wú mìchù, délái cyuán bù fèigongfů
      • Wade–Giles: tʻa4-pʻo4 tʻieh3-hsieh2 wu2 mi4-chʻu4, tê2-lai2 chʻüan2 pu4 fei4-kung1-fu5
      • Yale: tà-pwò tyě-syé wú mì-chù-, dé-lái chywán bù fèi-gūng-fu
      • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tahpoh tieeshye wu mihchuh, derlai chyuan bu feygong.fu
      • Palladius: тапо тесе у мичу, дэлай цюань бу фэйгунфу (tapo tese u miču, dɛlaj cjuanʹ bu fɛjgunfu)
      • Sinological IPA (key): /tʰä⁵¹⁻⁵³ pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ u³⁵ mi⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵¹ tɤ³⁵ laɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ feɪ̯⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ fu²/
  • Cantonese
    • (Standard Cantonese, GuangzhouHong Kong)+
      • Jyutping: daap6 po3 tit3 haai4 mou4 mik6 cyu3, dak1 loi4 cyun4 bat1 fai3 gung1 fu1
      • Yale: daahp po tit hàaih mòuh mihk chyu, dāk lòih chyùhn bāt fai gūng fū
      • Cantonese Pinyin: daap9 po3 tit8 haai4 mou4 mik9 tsy3, dak7 loi4 tsyn4 bat7 fai3 gung1 fu1
      • Guangdong Romanization: dab6 po3 tid3 hai4 mou4 mig6 qu3, deg1 loi4 qun4 bed1 fei3 gung1 fu1
      • Sinological IPA (key): /taːp̚² pʰɔː³³ tʰiːt̚³ haːi̯²¹ mou̯²¹ mɪk̚² t͡sʰyː³³ tɐk̚⁵ lɔːi̯²¹ t͡sʰyːn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ fɐi̯³³ kʊŋ⁵⁵ fuː⁵⁵/

Idiom edit

踏破鐵鞋無覓處,得來全不費工夫

  1. (xiehouyu) One will search high and low only to find it when one least expects to.