# 水滴石穿

shuǐ dī shí chuān

Steady effort can overcome a hard task

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Dripping water wears through stone

**Register:** Encouraging · conversational

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

## When to use it

Use to encourage small efforts continued over time.

It describes persistence, not a fast result or brute force.

## Behind the words

The image of repeated drops wearing through stone appears in traditional writing. It makes slow, persistent change visible through a familiar natural process.

A single drop appears powerless against stone, but repeated drops can gradually change it. The image joins persistence with accumulated effect. It is particularly suitable for habits, training, and long projects where small actions matter over time. It does not mean that every possible goal can be reached through repetition alone; the action must actually contribute to the intended result.

## Examples

每天练习一点，水滴石穿，总会有进步。

### Traditional Chinese

每天練習一點，水滴石穿，總會有進步。

měi tiān liàn xí yì diǎn ， shuǐ dī shí chuān ， zǒng huì yǒu jìn bù 。

Practice a little every day; steady effort will bring progress.

每天练习十分钟，看似很少，也能水滴石穿。

### Traditional Chinese

每天練習十分鐘，看似很少，也能水滴石穿。

měi tiān liàn xí shí fēn zhōng ， kàn sì hěn shǎo ， yě néng shuǐ dī shí chuān 。

Ten minutes of practice a day may seem small, but steady effort can produce a major result.

这项长期研究靠的是水滴石穿的耐心。

### Traditional Chinese

這項長期研究靠的是水滴石穿的耐心。

zhè xiàng cháng qī yán jiū kào de shì shuǐ dī shí chuān de nài xīn 。

This long-term research depends on patient, persistent effort.

他坚持记录每一笔开支，几年下来，水滴石穿，终于攒下了学费。

### Traditional Chinese

他堅持記錄每一筆開支，幾年下來，水滴石穿，終於攢下了學費。

tā jiān chí jì lù měi yì bǐ kāi zhī ， jǐ nián xià lái ， shuǐ dī shí chuān ， zhōng yú zǎn xià le xué fèi 。

By tracking every expense consistently for years, he eventually saved enough for tuition.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 4, 2026.

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=179&q=1&webMd=1&la=0)

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E6%B0%B4%E6%BB%B4%E7%9F%B3%E7%A9%BF)

## Keep exploring

- [夙兴夜寐 sù xīng yè mèi Rise early and sleep late through diligence ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/su-xing-ye-mei)

- [夙夜匪懈 sù yè fěi xiè Work diligently without letting up ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/su-ye-fei-xie)

- [所向披靡 suǒ xiàng pī mǐ Win decisively wherever one goes ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/suo-xiang-pi-mi)

- [谈何容易 tán hé róng yì Much harder to do than to say ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/tan-he-rong-yi)

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