摸爬滚打 (mō) — to go through challenging experiences and become seasoned (in one's profession, life, etc.)

Definition

Examples

• 他在工地上摸爬滚打了十几年，什么苦都吃过。
  Tā zài gōng dì shàng mō le shí jǐ nián, shén me kǔ dōu chī guò.
  He has been through the grind on construction sites for over a decade and has endured every kind of hardship.
• 这位老演员是从话剧团摸爬滚打出来的，演技特别扎实。
  Zhè wèi lǎo yǎn yuán shì cóng huà jù tuán mō chū lái de, yǎn jì tè bié zhā shi.
  This veteran actor came up through the rough-and-tumble of the drama troupe, so his acting skills are especially solid.
• 创业这些年，他经历了无数次的摸爬滚打，终于有了今天的成就。
  Chuàng yè zhè xiē nián, tā jīng lì le wú shù cì de mō, zhōng yú yǒu le jīn tiān de chéng jiù.
  In these years of starting a business, he has gone through countless trials and tribulations, and finally achieved what he has today.