💧 水滴石穿 shuǐ dī shí chuān – Dripping Water Pierces Stone
🔍 What It Means
水滴石穿 (shuǐ dī shí chuān) literally means “water drops can pierce stone.”
Word-for-word:
水 (shuǐ) – water
滴 (dī) – drop
石 (shí) – stone
穿 (chuān) – pierce, go through
This idiom teaches that even small efforts, repeated steadily, can lead to big results.
It emphasizes patience, perseverance, and the power of steady action.
In English, it’s like saying:
💦 “Dripping water hollows out stone”
🐢 “Slow and steady wins the race”
🏗️ “Little by little, the bird builds its nest”
🏺 Where It Comes From
This idiom comes from an old Chinese proverb.
Long ago, people noticed that a single drop of water was soft and weak.
But if it dripped again and again in the same spot on a stone —
Over time, it left a small hole in the stone.
Even something as gentle as water can wear down something as hard as rock if it doesn’t give up.
That became a metaphor:
With enough persistence, even the hardest goal can be achieved.
💬 How to Use It
Use 水滴石穿 to encourage someone to keep going — especially when they’re working on something difficult or slow.
✅ Often used in school, sports, or personal goals
✅ A positive, encouraging idiom about effort and patience
❌ Never used for quick success — it’s all about long-term persistence
🎯 Real Examples
1. 只要每天练习中文，水滴石穿，总会进步的。
Zhǐ yào měitiān liànxí Zhōngwén, shuǐ dī shí chuān, zǒng huì jìnbù de.👉🏻 If you practice Chinese every day, little by little, you’ll definitely improve.
2. 别着急，继续努力，水滴石穿。
Bié zháojí, jìxù nǔlì, shuǐ dī shí chuān.👉🏻 Don’t rush — keep working hard, and you’ll get there.
⚠️ Common Mistakes (Watch Out!)
❌ Mistake: Using it for things that succeed quickly
✅ Correct: It’s for slow, steady progress over time
💡 Memory Tip
Imagine a big rock sitting in a garden.
You think — no way water can break this!
But day after day, a small drop keeps falling in the same place…
One day, there’s a hole in the rock.
That’s 水滴石穿 — even small drops can make a big change, if they never stop.
🧩 Interactive Practice
Translate this sentence into English:
水滴石穿，坚持就是胜利。
Answer:
Dripping water can pierce stone — if you keep going, you’ll succeed.
🌟 Final Thoughts
水滴石穿 reminds us that great results often come from small, repeated actions.
It’s not about speed — it’s about sticking with it, even when progress feels slow.☝️ Ask yourself: Are you giving up too soon — or making progress, one drop at a time? 💧
👉 Stay tuned for the next idiom in this series!
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