# 任重道远

rèn zhòng dào yuǎn

Face a heavy responsibility and a long journey

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** The burden is heavy and the road long

**Traditional Chinese:** 任重道遠

**Register:** Formal · literary

[Effort & growth](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/effort)

## When to use it

Describe demanding work needing lasting commitment.

Not merely a physically long trip.

## Understanding the expression

A traveler carrying a heavy load over a long road cannot finish through one brief burst of effort. The image suits responsibilities whose difficulty and duration are both substantial. Education, public health, and long term reform often receive this description. The phrase can encourage perseverance while acknowledging the scale of the task. It does not mean progress is impossible; it means that careful planning, shared effort, and sustained commitment are needed.

## Examples

改善水质任重道远。

### Traditional Chinese

改善水質任重道遠。

gǎi shàn shuǐ zhì rèn zhòng dào yuǎn 。

Improving water quality is a demanding long-term responsibility.

保护方言任重道远。

### Traditional Chinese

保護方言任重道遠。

bǎo hù fāng yán rèn zhòng dào yuǎn 。

Protecting regional languages requires substantial, lasting effort.

团队任重道远，需要稳定支持。

### Traditional Chinese

團隊任重道遠，需要穩定支持。

tuán duì rèn zhòng dào yuǎn ， xū yào wěn dìng zhī chí 。

The team faces a difficult long road and needs steady support.

培养人才任重道远，不能急于求成。

### Traditional Chinese

培養人才任重道遠，不能急於求成。

péi yǎng rén cái rèn zhòng dào yuǎn ， bù néng jí yú qiú chéng 。

Developing talent takes sustained work and cannot be rushed.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E4%BB%BB%E9%87%8D%E9%81%93%E9%81%A0)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=835&webMd=1&la=0)

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