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急于求成 (jí yú qiú chéng) — to be impatient for quick results; to demand instant success

Definition

A negative evaluation: rushing to finish or succeed without patience, usually leading to poor results. Compare 急功近利, which adds the idea of chasing personal gain; 急躁 focuses on one's irritable temperament.

phrase
to be impatient for quick resultsto demand instant success

Examples

  • 急于求成，。
    Zuò yán jiū bù néng jí yú qiú chéng, yào yǒu cháng qī guī huà.
    Doing research cannot be impatient for quick results; you need long-term planning.
  • 急于求成，。
    Tā jí yú qiú chéng, jié guǒ bǎ hǎo shì bàn zá le.
    He was so eager for quick success that he messed up a good thing.
  • 急于求成，。
    Xué rèn hé jì néng dōu jì huì jí yú qiú chéng, dé yí bù yí bù lái.
    In learning any skill, you should avoid being too hasty; you have to take it step by step.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

急于eager to
急jíeager于yúto
求成seek success
求qiúseek成chéngsuccess
动宾Verb + object

急于 expresses eagerness, and 求成 gives the sense of seeking success.

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
及
及jí急jí
Same sound today

急 pairs 心 (heart) with 及, which gives the sound.

Open 急 →

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

  • 一一yīflat stream of air
  • 丂丂kǎoto exhale

The old shape of 于 may have pictured an ancient wind instrument. Another explanation reads 一 as a flat stream of air and 丂 as an exhaling mark.

Open 于 →

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

求 began as a drawing of a centipede.

Open 求 →

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
戊戊wù
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng成chéng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

成 puts 戊, a weapon, beside 丁, which gives the sound. The weapon part relates to protection, as in the old sense of city walls.

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

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