细水长流

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: xì shuǐ cháng liú
• English Translation: A thin stream flows far (steady and long-lasting)
• Idiom Composition: 「细」（Thin, fine, or small in quantity.）＋「水」（Water or a stream.）＋「长」（Long, referring to both time and distance.）＋「流」（To flow.）
• Meaning: Literally describing a thin stream of water that flows continuously without stopping, this idiom refers to doing things steadily and persistently over a long period. It also describes managing resources or finances frugally and planfully so they last a long time. In modern contexts, it is frequently used to describe a quiet, stable, and enduring relationship.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「细水长流」 contains the following nuances:

• Economic Sustainability: Originally, the idiom carried a strong connotation of frugality—saving little by little to ensure that resources are not exhausted quickly. It is a staple of traditional Chinese household wisdom.
• Steady Persistence: It serves as a positive evaluation of a person's character, praising those who work at a sustainable pace rather than seeking short-term, explosive success.
• Quiet and Stable Relationships: In modern usage, it is the ideal for many couples who prefer a peaceful, reliable partnership over the volatility of 'passionate' love.

3. Usage

「细水长流」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Financial Management & Life Planning: Used to advise someone to spend money planfully and avoid waste to ensure long-term security.
  • Example:「过日子要懂得细水长流，不能发了工资几天就花光。」
    （In daily life, one should know how to budget carefully for the long term and not spend the entire salary within a few days of receiving it.）
• Learning and Work Habits: Used to encourage steady, daily progress rather than trying to achieve everything at once and burning out.
  • Example:「学习外语不能急于求成，要细水长流，每天坚持积累。」
    （Learning a foreign language shouldn't be rushed for quick results; it requires steady, daily accumulation.）
• Relationships (Romance & Friendship): A romantic and calm expression describing a relationship that is not necessarily intense or dramatic but is stable and enduring.
  • Example:「比起轰轰烈烈的爱情，我更向往细水长流的陪伴。」
    （Rather than a dramatic and intense romance, I long for a quiet and enduring companionship.）

Additional Examples:

1. 做生意讲究细水长流，不能只看眼前的利益。
   （When it comes to business, long-term sustainability is key; you shouldn't just look at short-term profits.）
2. 虽然每天只跑两公里，但细水长流，一年下来身体好了很多。
   （Although I only run two kilometers a day, steady persistence pays off, and after a year, my health has improved significantly.）
3. 资源是有限的，我们必须细水长流地使用。
   （Resources are limited, so we must use them sparingly to make them last.）
4. 真正的友谊是细水长流，不需要每天联系，但心里总有对方。
   （True friendship is steady and long-lasting; you don't need to contact each other every day, but you always hold them in your heart.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• The idiom is said to be derived from the Sutra of Bequeathed Teaching (遗教经), which was cited in the Qing Dynasty work Common Sayings (通俗编) by Zhai Hao (翟灏). The original Buddhist text used the metaphor of a small stream flowing long enough to eventually wear through stone.
• While the English proverb 'dripping water wears away stone' focuses on the final achievement (breaking the stone), the Chinese idiom 细水长流 (xì shuǐ cháng liú) focuses more on the 'long flow' itself—the virtue of the process and the sustainability of the effort.
• In Chinese culture, steady and modest prosperity is often considered a greater 'blessing' (福 - fú) than sudden, flashy wealth, which is seen as precarious.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 持之以恒 (chí zhī yǐ héng): To persevere in something for a long time; to have the constancy to keep going.link
  • 精打细算 (jīng dǎ xì suàn): Meticulous planning and careful calculation, especially regarding money and resources.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 大手大脚 (dà shǒu dà jiǎo): Extravagant or wasteful with money; spending without a plan.link
  • 虎头蛇尾 (hǔ tóu shé wěi): To start with a bang but end with a whimper; literally 'tiger's head, snake's tail'.
  • 半途而废 (bàn tú ér fèi): To give up halfway; to abandon something before it is finished.link

6. Summary

细水长流 (xì shuǐ cháng liú) is a positive and grounded idiom that emphasizes the power of consistency over intensity. Whether applied to financial planning, the habit of learning, or the development of a romantic relationship, it suggests that a modest but constant effort is superior to a flash of brilliance that quickly fades.