众志成城

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: zhòng zhì chéng chéng
• English Translation: Many people's wills form a fortress; to unite and face difficulties together
• Idiom Composition: 「众」（Many）＋「志」（Will, aspiration）＋「成」（To form, to become）＋「城」（Fortress, city wall）
• Meaning: If the wills of many people unite, they can form a fortress as strong as a city wall, capable of overcoming any difficulty. It expresses the importance of unity and the great power that arises from it.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「众志成城」 contains the following nuances:

• Power of unity: Emphasizes that even if individual strengths are small, when many people unite, they can become a great force.
• Indomitable spirit: Expresses a strong will to overcome any difficulties or obstacles by uniting and facing them.
• Common goal: Implies that even if individual efforts are small, significant achievements can be made by combining forces towards a common goal.
• Strength of the collective: Shows the idea that while individual strength has limits, those limits can be overcome by uniting as a collective.

3. Usage

「众志成城」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Emphasizing the importance of unity: Used to advocate for the importance of people uniting in difficult situations.
  • Example:「面对强敌，我们只有众志成城，才能取得胜利。」
    （Facing a strong enemy, only by uniting our wills can we achieve victory.）
• Praising overcoming difficulties: Used to praise the achievement of difficult tasks or goals through the unity of people.
  • Example:「经过大家的努力，我们终于众志成城，完成了这个项目。」
    （Through everyone's efforts, we finally united our wills and completed this project.）
• As a slogan or motto: Often used as a slogan or motto to promote unity within an organization or team.
  • Example:「众志成城，共创辉煌！」
    （United in will, let's create a brilliant future together!）

Additional Examples:

1. 在抗洪救灾中，军民众志成城，筑起了一道坚不可摧的防洪堤。
   （In flood relief efforts, the military and the people united their wills and built an indestructible flood control dike.）
2. 公司全体员工众志成城，克服了重重困难，最终实现了扭亏为盈。
   （All employees of the company united their wills, overcame numerous difficulties, and finally achieved a turnaround from loss to profit.）
3. 只要我们众志成城，就没有什么困难能够阻挡我们前进的步伐。
   （As long as we unite our wills, no difficulty can stop our progress.）
4. 面对疫情，全国人民众志成城，共同抗击病毒。
   （Facing the epidemic, the people nationwide united their wills to fight the virus together.）
5. 在比赛的关键时刻，队员们众志成城，最终赢得了比赛的胜利。
   （At the critical moment of the match, the team members united their wills and ultimately won the game.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Chinese history and culture: '众志成城' is an idiom deeply rooted in Chinese history and culture. Since ancient times, the power of unity has been emphasized in China, as reflected in the proverb '人心齐，泰山移' (When people are of one mind, they can move Mount Tai).
• Collectivism: '众志成城' reflects collectivist values emphasizing the strength of the group over the individual.
• Significance in modern society: The spirit of '众志成城' remains important today. To solve complex social problems, cooperation and unity among many people are essential, beyond relying on individual efforts alone.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 同心协力 (tóng xīn xié lì): To work together with one heart.
  • 齐心协力 (qí xīn xié lì): To make concerted efforts, to work with one mind.
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 分崩离析 (fēn bēng lí xī): For an organization or group to disintegrate.
  • 一盘散沙 (yì pán sǎn shā): Disorganized and lacking cohesion, like a tray of loose sand.

6. Summary

'众志成城' is an idiom that expresses the importance of unity and the great power that arises from it. It is a phrase deeply rooted in Chinese history and culture, and its significance remains undiminished in modern society. By understanding and appropriately using this idiom, you can enhance your Chinese expressive power.