CHENGYU
千辛万苦(qiān xīn wàn kǔ)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- neutral
- Source:
- 元·张之翰《元日》
MEANING
- Literal
- a thousand toils and ten thousand hardships
- Figurative meaning
- untold hardships; through thick and thin
ORIGIN STORY
The Yuan poet Zhang Zhihan wrote: "A thousand toils and ten thousand hardships I have tasted through — only the waters of Wusong remain sweet." The doubled numbers stand for every kind of suffering endured.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“through thick and thin”
EXAMPLES
父母千辛万苦把我们养大。Fùmǔ qiān xīn wàn kǔ bǎ wǒmen yǎng dà.HSK6
Our parents raised us through a thousand toils and ten thousand hardships.
他千辛万苦才找到这份工作。Tā qiān xīn wàn kǔ cái zhǎo dào zhè fèn gōngzuò.HSK6
Only after untold hardships did he land this job.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It is hardship and toil — not danger (九死一生) or mere effort.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01