每天成语
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久而久之

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: jiǔ ér jiǔ zhī
  • English Translation: As time goes by (over a long period of time)
  • Idiom Composition: 「久」（A long time; duration）＋「而」（And then; a conjunction connecting the passage of time to the result）＋「久」（A long time (repeated for emphasis on the duration)）＋「之」（A grammatical particle referring to the situation or time passing）
  • Meaning: Describes a situation where a certain state or action continues for a long time, naturally resulting in a change or the formation of a habit.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「久而久之」 contains the following nuances:

  • Time and Causality: The phrase implies more than just the passage of time; it suggests a causal link where the duration itself is what causes the change or result to manifest.
  • Neutral Connotation: Unlike some idioms that are strictly positive or negative, 久而久之 (jiǔ ér jiǔ zhī) is neutral. It can be used to describe the accumulation of wisdom or the gradual worsening of a disease.

3. Usage

「久而久之」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Formation of Habits: Used to describe how a repeated action naturally becomes a habit or a fixed trait over time.
    • Example:「刚开始他只是偶尔抽烟，久而久之，竟然有了烟瘾。」
      （At first he only smoked occasionally, but over time, he unexpectedly developed an addiction.)
  • Changes in Relationships: Describes how feelings or relationships evolve through long-term interaction.
    • Example:「他们两个经常在一起工作，久而久之，产生了深厚的感情。」
      （The two of them often worked together, and as time went by, deep feelings developed between them.)
  • Inevitable Consequences: Describes a result that is the natural consequence of a persistent condition.
    • Example:「如果不注意休息，久而久之，身体肯定会垮掉。」
      （If you don't pay attention to rest, in the long run, your health will definitely break down.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 起初我觉得这首歌很难听，但听得多了，久而久之也就习惯了。
    （At first I thought this song was terrible, but after listening to it many times, I gradually got used to it.）
  2. 他坚持每天背单词，久而久之，词汇量有了惊人的增长。
    （He persisted in memorizing words every day, and over time, his vocabulary grew amazingly.）
  3. 这种错误的坐姿如果不改正，久而久之会导致脊椎问题。
    （If this incorrect sitting posture isn't corrected, it will lead to spinal problems in the long run.）
  4. 哪怕是再小的误会，如果不及时解释，久而久之也会变成大矛盾。
    （No matter how small a misunderstanding is, if not explained promptly, it will turn into a major conflict over time.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Grammatically, 久而久之 (jiǔ ér jiǔ zhī) often acts as an adverbial phrase at the beginning of a clause or after a comma to connect the cause (time passing) to the effect.
  • The idiom appears in Qing Dynasty literature, such as the novels Flowers in the Mirror (镜花缘) and The Lamp at the Crossroads (歧路灯).
  • It emphasizes a natural, almost imperceptible transition rather than a sudden or forced change.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 久而久之 (jiǔ ér jiǔ zhī) is used to explain how a long-term process or repeated behavior eventually leads to a specific outcome. It is often translated as "over time" or "in the course of time." It is a versatile expression that can describe both positive developments, such as gaining a skill, and negative ones, such as developing a bad habit.

Idiom Essay

jiǔ ér jiǔ zhī
久而久之
Over Time
wǒ men我们cháng常jué de觉得，gǎi biàn改变shì是yī jiàn一件hěn很jù liè剧烈de的shì qíng事情。

We often feel that change is a very drastic event.

bǐ rú比如xià dìng下定jù dà巨大de的jué xīn决心，huò zhě或者tū rán突然fā shēng发生le了yí gè一个yì wài意外。

For example, making a huge resolution or having a sudden accident occur.

dàn但shēng huó生活lǐ里gèng更duō多de的shí hòu时候，biàn huà变化shì是zài在bù zhī bù jué不知不觉zhōng中fā shēng发生de的，ān jìng安静dé得ràng让nǐ你gēn běn根本zhù yì注意bú dào不到。

But more often in life, change happens unconsciously, so quietly that you don't notice it at all.

jiù就xiàng像nǐ你gāng刚bān搬dào到yí gè一个cáo zá嘈杂de的lù biān路边，tóu头jǐ tiān几天，nǐ你jué de觉得chǎo吵dé得gēn běn根本shuì睡bù不zhe着。

It's like when you first move to a noisy roadside; for the first few days, you feel it's so loud you can't sleep.

kě shì可是guò过le了yī liǎng gè yuè一两个月，nǐ你hǎo xiàng好像wán quán完全tīng bú dào听不到chuāng wài窗外de的chē shēng车声le了。

But after a month or two, it seems you can no longer hear the traffic outside the window.

bìng并bú shì不是shēng yīn声音xiāo shī消失le了，ér shì而是nǐ你de的shēn tǐ身体xí guàn习惯le了。

It's not that the sound disappeared, but that your body got used to it.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种“shí jiān时间dài lái带来de的zì rán自然jié guǒ结果”，jiào叫“jiǔ ér jiǔ zhī久而久之”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically used to describe this natural result brought by time, called 久而久之.

zhè ge这个cí词de的jié gòu结构hěn很yǒu yì si有意思，liǎng gè两个“jiǔ久”zì字lián连zài在yì qǐ一起。

The structure of this term is very interesting, with two 久 characters linked together.

tā它qiáng diào强调de的bú shì不是mǒu某yí gè一个jù tǐ具体de的shí kè时刻，ér shì而是yí gè一个màn cháng漫长de的、chóng fù重复de的guò chéng过程。

It emphasizes not a specific moment, but a long, repetitive process.

tā它xiǎng想biǎo dá表达de的shì是：dāng当shí jiān时间zú gòu足够zhǎng长，dāng当yī jiàn一件shì qíng事情fā shēng发生de的cì shù次数zú gòu足够duō多，mǒu zhǒng某种xīn新de的zhuàng tài状态jiù就huì会zì rán ér rán自然而然dì地gù dìng固定xià lái下来。

What it expresses is: when enough time passes and something happens enough times, a new state will naturally become fixed.

wǒ men我们yòng用“jiǔ ér jiǔ zhī久而久之”，tōng cháng通常shì是zài在miáo shù描述yī zhǒng一种jī lěi积累。

We use 久而久之 usually to describe a kind of accumulation.

tā它kě néng可能shì是huài shì坏事：bǐ rú比如zuò zī坐姿bù zhèng què不正确，dāng shí当时bù不jué de觉得téng疼，dàn但jiǔ ér jiǔ zhī久而久之，yāo腰bèi背jiù就zhēn de真的chū出le了wèn tí问题。

It could be something bad: for example, if your sitting posture is incorrect, you don't feel pain at the time, but 久而久之, problems really arise with your back.

tā它yě也kě néng可能shì是hǎo shì好事：bǐ rú比如xué学yǔ yán语言，gāng刚kāi shǐ开始měi gè每个cí词dōu都yào要xiǎng想bàn tiān半天，dàn但zhǐ yào只要měi tiān每天tīng听yì diǎn一点，jiǔ ér jiǔ zhī久而久之，yǒu xiē有些huà话bù yòng不用guò过nǎo zi脑子jiù就néng能tuō kǒu ér chū脱口而出。

It could also be something good: for example, when learning a language, at first you have to think about every word for a long time, but as long as you listen a little every day, 久而久之, some words will come out naturally without thinking.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语qí shí其实zài在tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们：bù不xū yào需要dīng盯zhe着měi每yī tiān一天de的xì wēi细微biàn huà变化kàn看，yě也bù bì不必yīn wèi因为jīn tiān今天méi yǒu没有jìn bù进步ér而jiāo lǜ焦虑。

This idiom actually reminds us: there is no need to stare at the subtle changes of every day, nor be anxious because there is no progress today.

hěn很duō多dōng xī东西，dāng xià当下kàn看bù不chū lái出来，dàn但zhǐ yào只要jiāo gěi交给shí jiān时间，“jiǔ ér jiǔ zhī久而久之”，jié guǒ结果zì rán自然huì会fú xiàn浮现。

Many things cannot be seen in the moment, but as long as you leave it to time, 久而久之, the results will naturally emerge.

zhè这shì是yī zhǒng一种xiāng xìn相信shí jiān时间de的lì liàng力量。

This is a way of believing in the power of time.

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