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千山万水

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: qiān shān wàn shuǐ
  • English Translation: A thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers (an arduous journey)
  • Idiom Composition: 「千」（A thousand; used here to signify a vast number.）＋「山」（Mountain; representing the physical obstacles of a journey.）＋「万」（Ten thousand; used here to signify an infinite number.）＋「水」（Water; referring to the rivers and streams that must be crossed.）
  • Meaning: A metaphor for a long and difficult journey across vast distances, often involving numerous obstacles and hardships.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「千山万水」 contains the following nuances:

  • Overwhelming Distance and Hardship: It doesn't just mean 'far'; it implies that the path is blocked by countless natural obstacles like mountains and rivers, highlighting the struggle to reach the goal.
  • Figurative Numbers: The numbers 千 (qiān) and 万 (wàn) are not literal counts but rhetorical devices used to signify 'innumerable' or 'infinite'.

3. Usage

「千山万水」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Hardships of Travel: Used to describe the difficulty of coming from a far distance or embarking on a challenging journey.
    • Example:「他走遍千山万水，终于找到了失散多年的亲人。」
      （He traveled over a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers to finally find his long-lost relatives.)
  • Emphasizing Distance: Used in literary contexts to express the loneliness of being far apart or the emotional weight of physical distance.
    • Example:「虽然我们隔着千山万水，但我们的心永远在一起。」
      （Although we are separated by a vast distance, our hearts are always together.)
  • Process of Pursuit and Effort: A metaphor for the long process and many difficulties overcome to achieve a specific goal.
    • Example:「这项科研成果是团队历经千山万水才取得的。」
      （This scientific achievement was only reached after the team went through countless hardships.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 为了求学，他不怕千山万水，独自一人来到了大城市。
    （To pursue his studies, he was not afraid of the long and arduous journey and came to the big city alone.）
  2. 这封信跨越千山万水，终于送到了我的手中。
    （This letter crossed thousands of miles to finally reach my hands.）
  3. 即使前方有千山万水阻挡，我也绝不放弃。
    （Even if there are innumerable obstacles ahead, I will never give up.）
  4. 候鸟飞越千山万水，只为了回到温暖的南方。
    （Migratory birds fly across vast distances just to return to the warm south.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • This idiom is found in the works of Tang Dynasty (唐朝) poets, such as Zhang Qiao (张乔) in his poem 'To an Old Friend in Weiyang' (寄维阳故人), which speaks of being separated from a loved one by 千山万水 (qiān shān wàn shuǐ).
  • A common variation is 万水千山 (wàn shuǐ qiān shān). This version was famously used by Mao Zedong (毛泽东) in his poem 'The Long March' (七律·长征) to describe the revolutionary spirit of overcoming the **countless mountains and rivers** during the historic retreat.
  • While it can describe physical distance, in modern usage, it often carries an emotional weight, suggesting that the bond remains strong despite the **great distance** or that a goal was achieved through immense perseverance.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 千山万水 (qiān shān wàn shuǐ) literally describes 'thousands of mountains and tens of thousands of rivers.' It is used to emphasize the immense distance of a journey or the great number of difficulties one must overcome to reach a destination. It can also be expressed as 万水千山 (wàn shuǐ qiān shān) with the same meaning.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Pre-Level 1

Idiom Essay

qiān shān wàn shuǐ
千山万水
Across Mountains and Rivers
zài在zhè ge这个shì jiè世界shàng上，yǒu xiē有些jù lí距离，wǒ men我们kě yǐ可以yòng用shù zì数字lái来jì suàn计算，bǐ rú比如jǐ bǎi几百gōng lǐ公里，huò zhě或者jǐ gè几个xiǎo shí小时de的fēi xíng飞行shí jiān时间。

In this world, some distances can be measured with numbers, such as several hundred kilometers or a few hours of flying time.

dàn但hái yǒu还有yī zhǒng一种jù lí距离，guāng光yòng用shù zì数字shì是wú fǎ无法biǎo dá表达de的。

But there is another kind of distance that numbers alone cannot express.

yīn wèi因为tā它bù jǐn不仅dài biǎo代表lù路yǒu有duō多yuǎn远，yě也ràng让rén人xiǎng dào想到yī lù shàng一路上jīng lì经历de的kùn nán困难hé和fù chū付出de的nǔ lì努力。

It represents not only how far the road is, but also brings to mind the hardships experienced and the effort made along the way.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个hěn很yǒu有huà miàn画面gǎn感de的chéng yǔ成语，kě yǐ可以yòng lái用来xíng róng形容yáo yuǎn遥远ér而jiān nán艰难de的lù chéng路程，jiào叫“qiān shān wàn shuǐ千山万水”。

In Chinese, there is a vivid idiom used to describe a long and difficult journey: “千山万水”.

zhè ge这个cí词de的huà miàn画面gǎn感fēi cháng非常qiáng强。

This expression creates a very vivid image.

“qiān千”hé和“wàn万”zài在zhè lǐ这里bú shì不是jù tǐ具体de的shù zì数字，ér shì而是biǎo shì表示shù liàng数量hěn很duō多。

Here, “千” and “万” are not specific numbers; they mean a very large quantity.

xiǎng xiàng想象yī xià一下，nǐ你yào要qù去yí gè一个hěn很yuǎn远de的dì fāng地方，huò zhě或者qù去jiàn见yí gè一个hěn很zhòng yào重要de的rén人。

Imagine that you are going somewhere far away or going to meet someone very important.

zài在dǐ dá抵达zhī qián之前，nǐ你xū yào需要fān guò翻过wú shù无数zuò座gāo shān高山，kuà guò跨过wú shù无数tiáo条hé liú河流。

Before arriving, you need to cross countless high mountains and rivers.

wǒ men我们shén me shí hòu什么时候huì会yòng用dào到“qiān shān wàn shuǐ千山万水”ne呢？

When do we use “千山万水”?

tōng cháng通常，tā它dài yǒu带有bǐ jiào比较qiáng liè强烈de的gǎn qíng感情sè cǎi色彩。

Usually, it carries a strong emotional tone.

rú guǒ如果nǐ你zhǐ shì只是qù去chāo shì超市mǎi dōng xī买东西，nǎ pà哪怕lù路shāo wēi稍微yǒu diǎn有点yuǎn远，wǒ men我们yě也bú huì不会yòng用zhè ge这个cí词。

If you are only going to the supermarket, even if it is a little far away, we would not use this expression.

dàn但rú guǒ如果nǐ你wèi le为了qù去yì guó tā xiāng异国他乡qiú xué求学，huò zhě或者wèi le为了qù去jiàn见yí gè一个xǔ jiǔ许久wèi未jiàn见de的rén人，bèi zhe背着xíng náng行囊，huàn换le了huǒ chē火车，yòu又huàn换fēi jī飞机，zhē teng折腾le了hǎo好jǐ tiān几天cái才dào dá到达，jiù就kě yǐ可以shuō说nǐ你yī lù一路zǒu guò走过le了“qiān shān wàn shuǐ千山万水”。

But if you travel to a foreign country to study, or to meet someone you have not seen for a long time, carrying your luggage, changing from trains to planes, and finally arriving after several exhausting days, you can say that you have traveled through “千山万水”.

suǒ yǐ所以，zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语lǐ里wǎng wǎng往往dài带zhe着yī zhǒng一种“bù róng yì不容易”de的gǎn jué感觉。

So, this idiom often carries a sense that something was “not easy.”

tā它jīng cháng经常bèi被yòng lái用来xíng róng形容yí gè一个rén人de的jué xīn决心。

It is often used to describe a person's determination.

bǐ rú比如，yí gè一个rén人wèi le为了shí xiàn实现mèng xiǎng梦想，nǎ pà哪怕qián miàn前面yǒu有qiān shān wàn shuǐ千山万水，yě也bú huì不会qīng yì轻易fàng qì放弃。

For example, someone who wants to achieve a dream will not easily give up, even if there are 千山万水 ahead.

tā它yě也jīng cháng经常bèi被yòng lái用来xíng róng形容rén人yǔ与rén人zhī jiān之间yáo yuǎn遥远de的jù lí距离。

It is also often used to describe the great distance between people.

bǐ rú比如，nǐ你hé和zuì hǎo最好de的péng yǒu朋友zhù住zài在dì qiú地球de的liǎng duān两端，suī rán虽然gé隔zhe着qiān shān wàn shuǐ千山万水，dàn但nǐ men你们de的xīn心yī rán依然hěn很jìn近。

For example, you and your best friend live at opposite ends of the Earth. Although 千山万水 lie between you, your hearts are still close.

xiàn dài现代kē jì科技ràng让jiāo tōng交通biàn dé变得yuè lái yuè越来越fāng biàn方便，wǒ men我们yǐ jīng已经hěn shǎo很少xū yào需要zhēn zhèng真正dì地fān shān yuè lǐng翻山越岭、bá shān shè shuǐ跋山涉水le了。

Modern technology has made transportation more and more convenient, and we rarely need to literally climb mountains and ford rivers anymore.

dàn但“qiān shān wàn shuǐ千山万水”zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语yī rán依然hěn很yǒu有shēng mìng lì生命力。

But the idiom “千山万水” is still full of life.

yīn wèi因为yǒu xiē有些jù lí距离，zhēn zhèng真正zhòng yào重要de的cóng lái bù从来不zhǐ shì只是yǒu有duō多yuǎn远，ér shì而是wèi le为了kuà yuè跨越zhè duàn这段jù lí距离，wǒ men我们jīng lì经历le了shén me什么。

Because for some distances, what truly matters is never just how far they are, but what we experience in order to cross them.

jù lí距离bù jǐn jǐn不仅仅shì是dì tú地图shàng上de的yī tiáo一条xiàn线。

Distance is more than just a line on a map.

tā它yě也kě yǐ可以shì是nǐ你wèi le为了dào dá到达xiǎng想qù去de的dì fāng地方，suǒ所kè fú克服de的yī qiè一切kùn nán困难。

It can also be all the difficulties you overcome to reach the place you want to go.

yě xǔ也许xiàn zài现在de的nǐ你，zhèng zài正在xué xí学习zhōng wén中文de的lù shàng路上，huò zhě或者zhèng正shēng huó生活zài在yí gè一个mò shēng陌生de的guó jiā国家。

Perhaps you are now on the path of learning Chinese, or living in an unfamiliar country.

dāng当nǐ你huí tóu回头kàn看shí时，yě xǔ也许huì会fā xiàn发现，zì jǐ自己qí shí其实yǐ jīng已经kuà yuè跨越le了qiān shān wàn shuǐ千山万水。

When you look back, you may find that you have actually crossed 千山万水.

ér而zǒu guò走过de的zhè xiē这些lù路，yě也dōu都chéng成le了nǐ你nǔ lì努力hé和yǒng qì勇气de的zhèng míng证明。

And all the roads you have traveled have become proof of your effort and courage.

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