千难万险 (qiān nán wàn xiǎn) — countless hardships and dangers; an extremely difficult and perilous journey or process

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'countless hardships and dangers,' used to emphasize an extremely difficult journey or struggle.

idiom
countless hardships and dangersan extremely difficult and perilous journey or process

Examples

  • 千难万险，陕。
    Hóng jūn cháng zhēng jīng lì le qiān nán wàn xiǎn, zuì zhōng dào dá le shǎn běi.
    The Red Army's Long March went through countless hardships and dangers, finally reaching northern Shaanxi.
  • 千难万险，。
    Chuàng yè de lù shang qiān nán wàn xiǎn, dàn zhǐ yào jiān chí jiù néng chéng gōng.
    The path of starting a business is full of countless difficulties and dangers, but as long as you persist you can succeed.
  • 千难万险，。
    Tā bú pà qiān nán wàn xiǎn, yǒng gǎn dì xiàng qián zǒu.
    He is not afraid of countless hardships and dangers, and bravely moves forward.

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.

千难innumerable hardships
千qiānthousand/innumerable难nánhardship
偏正Modifier + head
万险innumerable dangers
万wànten thousand/innumerable险xiǎndanger
偏正Modifier + head

千 and 万 mean innumerable, while 难 and 险 mean hardships and dangers; together they express countless dangers and hardships.

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
一一yīone, signifying a number
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén千qiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

千 pairs 人, whose sound was similar, with 一, a number stroke; the extra line was explained as extension, and a thousand is a number reached by extending counting.

Open 千 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 難; 难 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
暵
暵hàn難nán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional 難 pairs 隹, a bird, with 暵 for sound, and meant a type of bird. It was later borrowed for other meanings; the modern 难 is a shorthand.

Open 难 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 萬; 万 is its simplified writing.

For 万, the form 萬 was originally a picture of a scorpion, later borrowed for its sound to write 'ten thousand'; the scorpion picture is unrelated to that number.

Open 万 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 險; 险 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
僉
僉qiān險
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 險 pairs 阝, written in full as 阜, with 僉, which gives the sound; the simplified 险 is a shorthand.

Open 险 →

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