"Grinding an iron rod into a needle" literally means grinding an iron rod into an embroidery needle. It is a metaphor meaning that as long as one perseveres, even the most difficult things can be accomplished. This idiom originates from the story of the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai: when Li Bai was young, he was fond of play. He saw an old woman grinding an iron rod by a stream and asked her what she was doing. The old woman said, "As long as the effort is deep enough, an iron rod can be ground into a needle." Li Bai was deeply moved and from then on devoted himself to studying. This story embodies the value of "perseverance" in traditional Chinese culture and emphasizes willpower and patience. It is mostly used to encourage others or oneself, indicating that when facing long-term and arduous tasks, as long as one does not give up, the goal can be achieved. Its emotional tone is positive and commendatory, carrying a sense of inspiration and encouragement. In terms of cultural background, it reflects the philosophy of valuing accumulation and persistence in agricultural civilization and is in the same vein as idioms such as "dripping water wears through stone" and "the foolish old man removes the mountains."
📝 Example
Learning a foreign language is like grinding an iron rod into a needle—persist in memorizing words and practicing listening every day, and after a few years, you will surely communicate fluently. (Metaphor: as long as you persevere, you will achieve results.)
He failed many times in starting his business, but believed that with enough grinding, an iron rod can become a needle, and eventually built his company into an industry benchmark. (Metaphor: with persistence, success will ultimately come.)