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任重道远 (rèn zhòng dào yuǎn) — a heavy burden and a long road; (figurative) an arduous and long-term undertaking requiring perseverance

Definition

A chengyu from the Analects meaning 'heavy burdens, a long road' — used to describe a major task that demands long-term perseverance. It is a fixed four-character idiom, not used literally.

phrase
a heavy burden and a long road(figurative) an arduous and long-term undertaking requiring perseverance

Examples

  • 任重道远，。
    Zhè xiàng shì yè de rèn zhòng dào yuǎn, xū yào wǒ men yí dài jiē yí dài dì nǔ lì.
    This cause is an arduous long-term undertaking that requires the efforts of generation after generation.
  • 任重道远，。
    Fú pín gōng zuò rèn zhòng dào yuǎn, bù néng jí yú qiú chéng.
    Poverty alleviation work is a heavy responsibility with a long road ahead; we cannot rush for quick success.
  • 任重道远，。
    Shí xiàn zhè ge mù biāo rèn zhòng dào yuǎn, dàn wǒ men dōu yuàn yì wèi zhī fèn dòu.
    Achieving this goal is a long and arduous task, but we are all willing to strive for it.

Origin

Characters in this word

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
壬
壬rén任rèn
Same sound today

任 pairs 亻, a person, with 壬, which may picture a shoulder pole turned sideways.

Open 任 →

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
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
東
東dōng重zhòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

重 developed from a picture of a man carrying a bag, with 人 for the man and 東 for the bag; a later ground element was folded into the form.

Open 重 →

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
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →

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
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
元
元yuán远yuǎn
Same sound today

远 combines 辶, meaning walk, with 元, used for its sound.

Open 远 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6

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