磨斧爲針

마부위침 磨斧爲針

It literally means grinding an axe to make a needle. It signifies that no matter how difficult a task may be, you can achieve it if you persevere and continuously put in the effort.

Chinese Idiom 4-character idiom Learn with Music
💡 TL;DR

마부위침 (磨斧爲針): It literally means grinding an axe to make a needle.

1 Meaning

마부위침 (磨斧爲針) means “It literally means grinding an axe to make a needle. It signifies that no matter how difficult a task may be, you can achieve it if you persevere and continuously put in the effort.”.

Mabuwichim (磨斧爲針) literally means grinding an axe down to a needle. It is an idiom that illustrates how even the most impossible-seeming goals can be achieved through unwavering perseverance and continuous effort without giving up.

2 Examples

1

A non-computer science major trying to get hired as a developer at a major tech company.

Despite being discouraged by others, they spend years studying late into the night, practicing coding tests, and endlessly refining their portfolio.

2

An unknown rookie actor facing countless rejections.

Instead of getting discouraged by failed auditions, they practice acting every day and accumulate experience by giving their all, even in minor roles.

3

A small startup with little initial capital that no one believed would succeed.

Surrounded by giant competitors, they constantly sharpen and improve their product's details every day by incorporating even the smallest customer feedback.

3 Origin

The idiom originates from a story about Li Bai, the great poet of the Tang Dynasty. When he was young, he grew tired of his studies and left his mountain retreat. On his way down, he saw an old woman fiercely grinding an axe on a rock by a stream. When Li Bai asked what she was doing, she replied, 'I am making a needle. If I don't give up halfway, it will eventually become one.' Deeply moved by this, Li Bai returned to the mountain to focus on his studies and eventually became a legendary poet. This teaches us that even a seemingly impossible dream, symbolized by a heavy axe, can be refined into a sharp and precise needle of success through relentless, grinding effort.

4 Key Lessons

1

Even seemingly impossible and massive goals can be achieved through small, consistent efforts.

2

You must maintain unwavering perseverance, even in the face of doubt or mockery from others.

3

Periods of pain and failure are simply the process of refining your goals to make them sharper and more perfect.

5 English Expression

English Vocabulary

grind down

갈아내다, 마모시키다

"You have to grind down the metal to make it sharp."

grit

투지, 끈기

"It takes a lot of grit to finish a marathon."

fast lane

빠른 길, 지름길

"There is no fast lane to success."

locked in

집중한, 몰두한

"He stayed locked in on his studies all night."

6 Learn with Music

마부위침 track image

마부위침 Track

Needle From an Axe (磨斧爲針)

처음엔 너무 크고 거칠어 보이던 꿈과 고난을 끝까지 갈고 다듬어 결국 날카로운 성취로 바꾸는 과정을 그리며, 도끼를 갈아 바늘을 만든다는 **마부위침(磨斧爲針)**의 끈기와 집념을 강렬하게 담아낸다.

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마부위침

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