# 一朝一夕

yī zhāo yī xī

A very short period of time

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** One morning and one evening

**Register:** General · spoken & written

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

## When to use it

Explain that a lasting skill or change takes time.

Commonly used with a negative statement about quick results.

## The image & its use

The expression compresses time into a single morning and evening. It often appears when a speaker explains why a skill, habit, or relationship cannot be formed immediately. A steady process needs repeated experiences, opportunities to adjust, and sometimes patient support. The phrase sets a realistic expectation rather than fixing an exact duration. Pair it with the kind of regular work that matters, so a reminder about time also gives the learner a useful way to begin.

## Examples

书法不是一朝一夕就能练好的。

### Traditional Chinese

書法不是一朝一夕就能練好的。

shū fǎ bú shì yī zhāo yī xī jiù néng liàn hǎo de 。

Good calligraphy cannot be developed overnight.

信任的建立并非一朝一夕之事。

### Traditional Chinese

信任的建立並非一朝一夕之事。

xìn rèn de jiàn lì bìng fēi yī zhāo yī xī zhī shì 。

Building trust is not a matter of a day or two.

整理长期积累的资料，无法一朝一夕完成。

### Traditional Chinese

整理長期積累的資料，無法一朝一夕完成。

zhěng lǐ cháng qī jī lěi de zī liào ， wú fǎ yī zhāo yī xī wán chéng 。

Years of accumulated material cannot be organized in a very short time.

口语的进步不在一朝一夕，而在持续练习。

### Traditional Chinese

口語的進步不在一朝一夕，而在持續練習。

kǒu yǔ de jìn bù bú zài yī zhāo yī xī ， ér zài chí xù liàn xí 。

Speaking improves through continued practice rather than overnight.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 7, 2026.

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=1213&webMd=1&la=0)

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E4%B8%80%E6%9C%9D%E4%B8%80%E5%A4%95)

## Keep exploring

- [应对如流 yìng duì rú liú Answer readily and fluently ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/ying-dui-ru-liu)

- [应接不暇 yìng jiē bù xiá Have more to attend to than one can manage ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/ying-jie-bu-xia)

- [有声有色 yǒu shēng yǒu sè Be vivid, engaging, and lively ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/you-sheng-you-se)

- [有始无终 yǒu shǐ wú zhōng Begin something but fail to carry it through ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/you-shi-wu-zhong)

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