一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù) — to succeed at the first try; to accomplish something in one go

Definition

An idiom meaning success comes in a single step — 'to achieve something in one go.' Almost always used in the negative (不能∼, 不可能∼) to stress that real results take time.

idiom
to succeed at the first tryto accomplish something in one go

Examples

  • 一蹴而就，。
    Xué xí yǔ yán bù néng yī cù ér jiù, xū yào cháng qī jiān chí.
    Learning a language cannot be accomplished overnight; it requires long-term persistence.
  • ，一蹴而就。
    Zhè ge jì huà hěn fù zá, bù kě néng yī cù ér jiù.
    This plan is very complex and cannot be achieved in one go.
  • 一蹴而就，。
    Chéng gōng wǎng wǎng bú shì yī cù ér jiù de, ér shì màn màn jī lěi de jié guǒ.
    Success is often not achieved at the first try, but is the result of gradual accumulation.

Origin

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
足足zúfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
就
就jiù蹴cù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

蹴 is written with 足, meaning “foot,” and 就, which gives the sound.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 而 is a picture of a beard.

Open 而 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

An older form paired 享, a temple, with 京, a tower, showing sacrifice at a high place; in 就 the temple part was dropped and a right part for going upward was added.

Open 就 →

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