每天成语
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千方百计

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: qiān fāng bǎi jì
  • English Translation: By every possible means / To leave no stone unturned
  • Idiom Composition: 「千」（Thousand; used metaphorically to mean 'many' or 'numerous'.）＋「方」（Method, way, or direction.）＋「百」（Hundred; used metaphorically to mean 'all' or 'various'.）＋「计」（Plan, strategy, or scheme.）
  • Meaning: To exhaust every conceivable method, strategy, or plan to achieve a specific goal. It implies a high degree of persistence and the use of a vast array of tactics.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「千方百计」 contains the following nuances:

  • Thoroughness of Methods: As indicated by the numbers 'thousand' and 'hundred,' this idiom emphasizes that one is not just trying one or two things, but is employing a vast multitude of strategies.
  • Persistence and Determination: Beyond just having many methods, it reflects a strong will and a sense of desperation to succeed regardless of the effort required.

3. Usage

「千方百计」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Overcoming Difficulties: The most common usage, describing efforts in business, projects, or rescue operations to overcome obstacles and reach a goal.
    • Example:「为了按时完成项目，团队成员千方百计地克服了技术难题。」
      （To finish the project on time, the team members tried every possible means to overcome the technical challenges.)
  • Obstruction or Interference: Used in a negative context to describe someone desperately trying to stop something or plotting with ill intent.
    • Example:「竞争对手千方百计阻挠我们的新产品上市。」
      （The competitors are using every trick in the book to prevent our new product from launching.)
  • Achieving a Strong Desire: Describes rushing about or working hard to fulfill a personal wish, such as finding someone or getting tickets.
    • Example:「歌迷们千方百计想要弄到这场演唱会的门票。」
      （Fans are leaving no stone unturned to get tickets for this concert.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 医生千方百计地抢救这位重病患者。
    （The doctors tried every possible means to save the critically ill patient.）
  2. 父母千方百计为孩子创造最好的学习环境。
    （Parents do everything in their power to create the best learning environment for their children.）
  3. 不管遇到什么困难，我们都要千方百计把损失降到最低。
    （No matter what difficulties we face, we must exhaust all means to minimize losses.）
  4. 他千方百计地讨好老板，希望能得到晋升。
    （He is trying every trick in the book to please his boss in hopes of getting a promotion.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Origin: This idiom originates from the Classified Conversations of Master Zhu (朱子语类 - Zhū Zǐ Yǔ Lèi) by the Song Dynasty philosopher Zhu Xi (朱熹). He used it to describe the intense effort needed to catch a thief, likening it to the mental focus required for self-cultivation.
  • Usage: It is a very common idiom used frequently in both formal writing and daily conversation.
  • Nuance: Compared to 想方设法 (xiǎng fāng shè fǎ), which simply means 'to think of a way,' 千方百计 (qiān fāng bǎi jì) implies a much higher level of intensity and a wider variety of attempts.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 千方百计 (qiān fāng bǎi jì) describes the act of trying every possible means to reach an objective. Using the numbers 'thousand' (千) and 'hundred' (百) to signify a vast quantity, it highlights a relentless and thorough effort. While often used positively to describe overcoming obstacles, it can also be used in a negative sense to describe someone scheming or plotting.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Pre-Level 1Level 2

Idiom Essay

qiān fāng bǎi jì
千方百计
By All Means Possible
shēng huó生活lǐ里，hěn很duō多shì qíng事情bìng并bú shì不是yī tiáo一条zhí直lù路。

In life, many things are not a straight path.

dāng当nǐ你xiǎng yào想要dá chéng达成yí gè一个mù biāo目标shí时，wǎng wǎng往往huì会fā xiàn发现：lù路bèi被dǔ zhù堵住le了，huò zhě或者mén门shì是suǒ zhe锁着de的。

When you want to achieve a goal, you often find that the road is blocked or the door is locked.

pǔ tōng rén普通人kě néng可能shì试le了yī cì一次，fā xiàn发现bù xíng不行，jiù就fàng qì放弃le了。

Ordinary people might try once, find it doesn't work, and give up.

dàn但hái yǒu还有yī zhǒng一种rén人，tā men他们shì试le了dì yī zhǒng第一种fāng fǎ方法bù xíng不行，jiù就huàn换dì èr zhǒng第二种；dì èr zhǒng第二种bù xíng不行，jiù就huàn换dì sān zhǒng第三种。

But there is another kind of person who tries a second method if the first one fails, and a third if the second fails.

zhèng miàn正面zǒu走bù tōng不通，jiù就rào dào绕道zǒu走；rào dào绕道yě也bù xíng不行，shèn zhì甚至huì会xiǎng想bàn fǎ办法dā搭yī zuò一座qiáo桥。

If the front path is blocked, they take a detour; if the detour doesn't work, they might even find a way to build a bridge.

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“wèi le为了dá dào达到mù dì目的，yòng jǐn用尽yī qiè一切bàn fǎ办法”de的zhuàng tài状态，jiào叫“qiān fāng bǎi jì千方百计”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically used to describe this state of using every possible means to achieve a goal, called 千方百计.

zhè ge这个cí词de的huà miàn gǎn画面感hěn很qiáng强。

This word has a very strong sense of imagery.

“qiān千”hé和“bǎi百”，dōu都shì是hěn很dà大de的shù zì数字；“fāng方”hé和“jì计”，zhǐ指de的shì是fāng fǎ方法hé和jì móu计谋。

千 and 百 are both very large numbers; 方 and 计 refer to methods and schemes.

zì miàn字面shàng上kàn看，jiù shì就是xiǎng想le了yī qiān zhǒng一千种fāng fǎ方法，yòng用le了yì bǎi zhǒng一百种jì móu计谋。

Literally, it means thinking of a thousand methods and using a hundred schemes.

dāng rán当然，zhè这shì是yī zhǒng一种kuā zhāng夸张de的shuō fǎ说法。

Of course, this is an exaggeration.

tā它bìng并bú shì不是zhēn de真的zài在shù数nǐ你yǒu有duō shǎo多少gè个bàn fǎ办法，ér shì而是zài在qiáng diào强调yī zhǒng一种“jué bù绝不fàng qì放弃”de的jué xīn决心。

It is not actually counting how many methods you have, but emphasizing a determination to never give up.

wǒ men我们tōng cháng通常zài在shén me什么qíng kuàng情况xià下yòng用“qiān fāng bǎi jì千方百计”ne呢？

In what situations do we usually use 千方百计?

wǎng wǎng往往shì是miàn duì面对nà xiē那些fēi cháng非常zhòng yào重要、yòu又fēi cháng非常kùn nán困难de的shì qíng事情。

It is often when facing things that are very important and very difficult.

bǐ rú比如，yī wèi一位yī shēng医生wèi le为了jiù zhì救治yī wèi一位zhòng bìng重病de的rén人，cháng shì尝试le了gè zhǒng各种yào wù药物hé和zhì liáo治疗shǒu duàn手段；huò zhě或者，fù mǔ父母wèi le为了ràng让hái zi孩子néng能shòu dào受到gèng hǎo更好de的jiào yù教育，kè fú克服le了gè zhǒng各种shēng huó生活shàng上de的kùn nán困难。

For example, a doctor might try various medicines and treatments to save a critically ill patient; or parents might overcome various life difficulties to ensure their child receives a better education.

zài在zhè xiē这些shí kè时刻，nǐ你huì会fā xiàn发现，“qiān fāng bǎi jì千方百计”de的bèi hòu背后，qí shí其实bù jǐn jǐn不仅仅shì是“cōng míng聪明”，gèng shì更是yī zhǒng一种“pò qiè迫切”。

In these moments, you will find that behind 千方百计 is not just cleverness, but a sense of urgency.

yīn wèi因为tā它yì wèi zhe意味着：wú lùn无论yù dào遇到duō shǎo多少zhàng ài障碍，wǒ我dōu都bù不jiē shòu接受“bù kě néng不可能”zhè ge这个dá àn答案。

Because it means that no matter how many obstacles are encountered, I do not accept 'impossible' as an answer.

suǒ yǐ所以，dāng当nǐ你shuō说yí gè一个rén人“qiān fāng bǎi jì千方百计”dì地qù去zuò做mǒu某jiàn件shì事shí时，nǐ你qí shí其实shì是zài在miáo shù描述yī zhǒng一种qiáng dà强大de的xíng dòng行动lì力。

So, when you say someone is doing something 千方百计, you are actually describing a powerful drive for action.

tā它tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们，hěn duō很多shí hòu时候，jiě jué解决wèn tí问题de的guān jiàn关键，bù不zhǐ shì只是kàn看lù路hǎo bù hǎo好不好zǒu走，ér shì而是kàn看nǐ你dào dǐ到底yǒu有duō多xiǎng想zǒu走dào到zhōng diǎn终点。

It reminds us that often the key to solving a problem is not just whether the road is easy to walk, but how much you really want to reach the finish line.

xià cì下次，dāng当nǐ你kàn dào看到yǒu rén有人wèi le为了yí gè一个mù biāo目标，shì试biàn遍le了suǒ yǒu所有kě néng可能de的lù路，nǎ pà哪怕zài再nán难yě也bù tíng不停xià下shí时，nǐ你jiù就kě yǐ可以yòng用zhè ge这个cí词lái来xíng róng形容tā他：tā他zhēn de真的shì是zài在“qiān fāng bǎi jì千方百计”dì地jiě jué解决wèn tí问题。

Next time you see someone trying every possible path for a goal and not stopping no matter how hard it is, you can use this word to describe them: they are truly solving the problem 千方百计.

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