"Chí zhī yǐ héng" means to persist over the long term, emphasizing the maintenance of perseverance and resolve in pursuing goals or handling affairs without giving up halfway. Its deeper meaning lies in this: success often does not come from a momentary burst of passion or talent, but from day-after-day persistence and accumulation. It is used in a wide range of contexts, both in personal growth areas such as study, work, and fitness, and in collective undertakings such as teamwork and tackling key research problems. In terms of cultural background, this idiom originates from the Book of Jin and reflects the high esteem for the quality of "constancy" in traditional Chinese culture, as stated in the Analects, "A person without constancy cannot be a shaman or a physician," emphasizing that perseverance is the foundation of success. Its emotional coloring is positive, and it is often used to praise someone for having willpower and resilience. It is worth noting that "chí zhī yǐ héng" is not blind stubbornness, but sustained effort based on the correct direction. It is synonymous with "qiè ér bù shě" and "jiān chí bù xiè," and antonymous with "bàn tú ér fèi" and "yī pù shí hán." In modern society, it reminds people that no matter how big or small the goal, only persistence can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.
📝 Example
1. Learning a foreign language requires perseverance. Only by practicing listening, speaking, reading, and writing every day can one make substantial progress.
2. Only by persistently exploring the unknown can researchers achieve a breakthrough after countless failures.