💧 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!