Definition
一鼓作气 is a chengyu (set phrase) from an ancient battle story: the first drumbeat rouses the soldiers' morale. It means to tackle a task in one determined push, using the initial burst of energy before it fades. It is often used as an adverbial phrase before the main verb.
phrase
to do something in one gowithout stopping or losing momentumto seize the initial burst of energy and finish the task at once
Examples
- 一鼓作气。Wǒmen yī gǔ zuò qì bǎ shèngxià de gōngzuò quán zuò wán le.We finished all the remaining work in one go.
- 一鼓作气，。Tā yī gǔ zuò qì xiě wán le zhěng piān lùnwén, lián xiūxi dōu méiyǒu.He wrote the whole paper in one sitting without even resting.
- 一鼓作气，。Dàjiā yī gǔ zuò qì pá shàng le shāndǐng, méi rén hǎn lèi.Everyone climbed to the summit in one push, no one complained of tiredness.
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