乘风破浪 (chéng fēng pò làng) — (idiom) to brave the wind and waves — to forge ahead with great ambitions, undeterred by difficulties

Definition

A chengyu meaning to ride the wind and waves — i.e., to forge ahead boldly despite obstacles. Used for ambitious people or endeavors pushing through hardship.

idiom
to brave the wind and waves — to forge ahead with great ambitions, undeterred by difficulties

Examples

  • 乘风破浪。
    Nián qīng rén yào yǒu chéng fēng pò làng de jīng shén.
    Young people should have the spirit of braving the wind and waves.
  • ，乘风破浪，。
    Zài chuàng yè de lù shang, tā yì zhí chéng fēng pò làng, cóng bú tuì suō.
    On the road of entrepreneurship, he has always forged ahead, never backing down.
  • 乘风破浪，。
    Zhè ge tuán duì chéng fēng pò làng, zhōng yú wán chéng le jiān jù de rèn wu.
    The team braved the wind and waves and finally completed the arduous mission.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

乘风ride the wind
乘chéngride风fēngwind
动宾Verb + object
破浪break the waves
破pòbreak浪làngwaves
动宾Verb + object

乘风 means ride the wind and 破浪 means break the waves; together they mean to forge ahead boldly.

Characters in this word

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

乘 was drawn as a person climbing a tree, with the feet visible.

Open 乘 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 风 →

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
石石shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí破pò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

破 has 石 (stone) as its meaning part and 皮 as its sound part.

Open 破 →

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
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng浪làng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

浪 pairs 水 (water) with 良, which supplies the sound. The water part points to its meaning of waves.

Open 浪 →

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