Chinese

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water; river a drop; to drip rock; stone; 10 pecks
to bore through; pierce; perforate
to bore through; pierce; perforate; penetrate; pass through; to dress; to wear; to put on; to thread
 
trad. (水滴石穿) 穿
simp. #(水滴石穿) 穿
Literally: “dripping water wears through rock”.

Etymology

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From Shizi:

[Classical Chinese, trad.]
[Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Shizi, circa 3rd century B.C.
Shuǐ fēi shí zhī zuàn, shéng fēi mù zhī jù. [Pinyin]
Water is not the drill for stones (but it can wear through it after long time). A rope is not the saw for trees (but can cut a tree down if it is pulled over it many times).

Later popularized by the following story:

張乖崖崇陽。乖崖勃然:「何足不能!」乖崖:「繩鋸木斷水滴石穿。」臺府崇陽至今 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
张乖崖崇阳。乖崖勃然:「何足不能!」乖崖:「绳锯木断水滴石穿。」台府崇阳至今 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Luo Dajing, Jade Dew from the Forest of Cranes (鶴林玉露)
Zhāng Guāiyá wéi chóngyáng lìng, yī lì zì kù zhōng chū, shì qí bìn bàng jīn xià yǒu yī qián, jié zhī, nǎi kù zhōng qián yě. Guāiyá mìng zhàng zhī, lì bórán yuē: “Yī qián hézú dào, nǎi zhàng wǒ yē? Ěr néng zhàng wǒ, bùnéng zhǎn dì yě!” Guāiyá yuán bǐ pàn yuē: “Yī rì yī qián, qiān rì yī qiān, shéngjùmùduàn, shuǐdīshíchuān.” Zì zhàng jiàn, xià jiē zhǎn qí shǒu, shēn táifǔ zì hé. Chóngyáng rén zhìjīn chuán zhī. [Pinyin]
One day when Zhang Guaiya was the governor of Chongyang County, he saw a petty official coming out from the treasury, with a coin put on his headpiece near his sideburns. He asked him about that, and he replied that the coin was from the treasury. Guaiya ordered him to be caned. The official was enraged and said, “One coin is not worth mentioning. Why would you cane me? Even you could cane me, you shouldn't behead me!” Guaiya took his brush and wrote the judgement, “If a man steals one coin every day, he would have stolen 1000 coins after 1000 days. A rope can cut down a tree eventually, and dripping water wears through rock eventually.” He then took the sword himself and the executed that official, and reported to the censorate so as to let himself take the responsibility. People in Chongyang County are still praising him now.

Pronunciation

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Proverb

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水滴石穿

  1. little strokes fell great oaks

Synonyms

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See also

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