每天成语
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坚韧不拔

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: jiān rèn bù bá
  • English Translation: Firm and indomitable (unyielding persistence)
  • Idiom Composition: 「坚」（Firm or solid.）＋「韧」（Tough and resilient; pliable yet strong.）＋「不」（Not.）＋「拔」（To uproot or shake; here meaning to be moved from one's conviction.）
  • Meaning: To have an extremely strong will and remain unshaken by any difficulty or pressure. It describes a quality that is not just hard and rigid, but also resilient and tough, like a tree that cannot be uprooted.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「坚韧不拔」 contains the following nuances:

  • The Union of Firmness and Resilience: The idiom combines 坚 (jiān), meaning 'firmness,' and 韧 (rèn), meaning 'resilience.' It suggests a strength that is not brittle, but capable of enduring stress without breaking.
  • An Unshakable Foundation: The term 不拔 (bù bá) literally means 'cannot be uprooted.' It metaphorically describes a person's beliefs or will as being so deeply rooted that no external force can move or shake them.

3. Usage

「坚韧不拔」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Praising character or mental strength: Commonly used to praise individuals who continue to work hard without giving up under difficult circumstances. It is a formal expression often found in writing or speeches.
    • Example:「正是凭着坚韧不拔的毅力，他才克服了重重困难，最终取得了成功。」
      （It was precisely because of his firm and indomitable willpower that he overcame numerous difficulties and finally achieved success.)
  • Describing groups or organizations: Used to describe the attitude of sports teams, companies, or even nations as they face and overcome adversity.
    • Example:「这支球队展现出了坚韧不拔的斗志，在落后的情况下实现了逆转。」
      （The team showed unyielding fighting spirit and managed to make a comeback despite being behind.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 面对严酷的自然环境，沙漠中的胡杨树表现出了坚韧不拔的生命力。
    （Facing a harsh natural environment, the Populus euphratica trees in the desert demonstrate extraordinary resilience.）
  2. 要想在科学研究上有所建树，必须具备坚韧不拔的精神。
    （To achieve results in scientific research, one must possess a firm and indomitable spirit.）
  3. 她那坚韧不拔的性格是在长期的艰苦生活中磨练出来的。
    （Her indomitable character was tempered through long years of hardship.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The phrase originates from the essay 'On Chao Cuo' (晁错论) by the Song Dynasty scholar Su Shi (苏轼). He wrote: 'Those who achieved great things in ancient times not only had extraordinary talent, but also possessed a 坚韧不拔 (jiān rèn bù bá) will.'
  • In the original text, the word used was 坚忍 (jiān rěn), meaning 'firm endurance.' However, in modern Chinese, it is more common to write 坚韧 (jiān rèn), which emphasizes 'toughness' and 'resilience.' Both are understood, but the modern version highlights the quality of being 'unbreakable.'
  • This idiom is frequently used to describe plants that survive in extreme conditions, such as the 'Three Friends of Winter' (岁寒三友 - suì hán sān yǒu)—the Pine, Bamboo, and Plum blossom—symbolizing high moral character and persistence.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

Derived from the writings of the famous poet Su Shi (苏轼), 坚韧不拔 (jiān rèn bù bá) describes a spirit of unwavering persistence. While the original text used a character meaning 'endurance,' the modern version emphasizes 'resilience,' praising those who remain steadfast through adversity.

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

Idiom Essay

jiān rèn bù bá
坚韧不拔
Unyielding Perseverance
wǒ men我们tōng cháng通常zěn me怎么xíng róng形容yí gè一个rén人nèi xīn内心hěn很qiáng dà强大？

How do we usually describe someone with a strong inner self?

kě néng可能huì会shuō说tā他“hěn很yìng硬”，huò zhě或者“hěn很gāng qiáng刚强”。

We might say they are "hard" or "strong-willed."

dàn但rú guǒ如果nǐ你zǐ xì仔细guān chá观察zì rán jiè自然界，nǐ你huì会fā xiàn发现，zuì最yìng硬de的dōng xī东西，bǐ rú比如shí tou石头，yǒu shí hòu有时候fǎn ér反而róng yì容易suì碎；fǎn dào反倒shì是nà xiē那些kàn qǐ lái看起来yǒu xiē有些róu ruǎn柔软de的dōng xī东西，bǐ rú比如zhú zi竹子huò或lú wěi芦苇，zài在bào fēng yǔ暴风雨zhōng中què却néng能cún huó存活xià lái下来。

But if you observe nature closely, you will find that the hardest things, like stones, are sometimes easily broken; instead, things that look soft, like bamboo or reeds, can survive in a storm.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常gāo jí高级de的chéng yǔ成语，zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种“bù不róng yì容易bèi被cuī huǐ摧毁”de的pǐn zhì品质，jiào叫“jiān rèn bù bá坚韧不拔”。

In Chinese, there is a very sophisticated idiom specifically used to describe this quality of being "not easily destroyed," called 坚韧不拔.

zhè ge这个cí词yóu由sān gè三个bù fèn部分zǔ chéng组成，měi每yí gè一个zì字dōu都hěn很guān jiàn关键。

This word consists of three parts, and every character is crucial.

“jiān坚”，dāng rán当然shì是jiān dìng坚定、jiān gù坚固，dài biǎo代表nǐ你de的lì chǎng立场bù dòng yáo不动摇；“bù bá不拔”，yì si意思shì是gēn根zhā扎dé得hěn很shēn深，wài lì外力wú fǎ无法bǎ把tā它bá拔qǐ lái起来。

坚, of course, means firm and solid, representing that your position does not waver; 不拔 means the roots are very deep, and external forces cannot pull them up.

dàn但zuì最miào妙de的zì字，qí shí其实shì是zhōng jiān中间nà ge那个“rèn韧”。

But the most wonderful character is actually the middle one, 韧.

“rèn韧”，shì是yī zhǒng一种tè shū特殊de的wù lǐ xìng zhì物理性质。

韧 is a special physical property.

tā它zhǐ指de的bú shì不是yìng dù硬度，ér shì而是“tán xìng弹性”hé和“nài shòu lì耐受力”。

It does not refer to hardness, but to "elasticity" and "endurance."

jiù就xiàng像yī kuài一块yōu zhì优质de的pí gé皮革，huò zhě或者shì是bèi被yā wān压弯de的shù zhī树枝，nǐ你kě yǐ可以ràng让tā它biàn xíng变形，dàn但nǐ你hěn很nán难zhé duàn折断tā它。

Like a piece of high-quality leather or a bent tree branch, you can deform it, but it is hard to break it.

suǒ yǐ所以，“jiān rèn bù bá坚韧不拔”miáo shù描述de的，bìng并bú shì不是yī zhǒng一种duì kàng xìng对抗性de的、chōng mǎn充满gōng jī lì攻击力de的qiáng zhuàng强壮。

Therefore, 坚韧不拔 does not describe a confrontational or aggressive strength.

tā它gèng更xiàng像shì是yī zhǒng一种zài在yā lì压力miàn qián面前de的chéng shòu lì承受力。

It is more like the ability to endure in the face of pressure.

wǒ men我们zài在shēng huó生活zhōng中，shén me shí hòu什么时候huì会yòng用dào到tā它ne呢？

When do we use it in our lives?

wǎng wǎng往往shì是zài在huán jìng环境hěn很è liè恶劣，huò zhě或者zāo yù遭遇le了lián xù连续dǎ jī打击de的shí hòu时候。

Often when the environment is harsh or when we have suffered continuous blows.

bǐ rú比如，yī wèi一位kē xué jiā科学家huā花le了èr shí nián二十年zuò做shí yàn实验，shī bài失败le了wú shù cì无数次，dàn但yī rán依然méi yǒu没有fàng qì放弃；huò zhě或者shì是yī kē一棵xiǎo cǎo小草，zài在shí tou石头fèng xì缝隙lǐ里，dǐng顶zhe着jù dà巨大de的yā lì压力zhǎng长le了chū lái出来。

For example, a scientist spent twenty years doing experiments and failed countless times but still did not give up; or a small blade of grass growing out of a crack in a rock under huge pressure.

shèn zhì甚至shì是yí gè一个rén人zài在yì guó tā xiāng异国他乡，miàn duì面对gū dú孤独hé和kùn nán困难，yī rán依然bǎ把shēng huó生活guò过dé得hěn很hǎo好。

Even a person in a foreign land, facing loneliness and difficulties, still lives a good life.

zhè ge这个shí hòu时候，wǒ men我们bú huì不会zhǐ只shuō说tā他“nǔ lì努力”，wǒ men我们huì会shuō说tā他“jiān rèn bù bá坚韧不拔”。

At this time, we wouldn't just say they are "hardworking," we would say they are 坚韧不拔.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语lǐ里cáng藏zhe着yī zhǒng一种zhōng guó shì中国式de的zhì huì智慧：zhēn zhèng真正de的qiáng dà强大，bìng并bú shì不是xiàng像shí tou石头yī yàng一样yìng pèng yìng硬碰硬，ér shì而是xiàng像zhí wù植物yī yàng一样，jì既yǒu有xiàng xià向下de的gēn jī根基，yòu又yǒu有xiàng shàng向上de的tán xìng弹性。

This idiom hides a Chinese-style wisdom: true strength is not hitting hard like a stone, but like a plant, having both downward roots and upward elasticity.

xià cì下次dāng当nǐ你kàn dào看到yí gè一个rén人，zài在jù dà巨大de的yā lì压力xià下yī rán依然méi yǒu没有dǎo xià倒下，shèn zhì甚至hái还zài在mò mò默默shēng zhǎng生长shí时，nǐ你kě yǐ可以yòng用zhè ge这个cí词lái来biǎo dá表达nǐ你de的jìng yì敬意。

Next time you see someone who has not fallen under huge pressure and is even growing silently, you can use this word to express your respect.

yīn wèi因为“jiān rèn bù bá坚韧不拔”，shì是duì对yí gè一个rén人yì zhì lì意志力zuì gāo最高de的zàn měi赞美。

Because 坚韧不拔 is the highest praise for a person's willpower.

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