指日可待 (zhǐ rì kě dài) — imminent; just around the corner; in sight

Definition

A formal chengyu meaning success or a desired outcome is imminent — 'just around the corner.' The date (指日) is specific; the result is certain to come soon.

idiom
imminentjust around the cornerin sight

Examples

  • ，指日可待。
    Zài dà jiā de gòng tóng nǔ lì xià, chéng gōng zhǐ rì kě dài.
    With everyone's joint efforts, success is just around the corner.
  • 指日可待。
    Xīn yào de shàng shì yǐ jīng zhǐ rì kě dài.
    The launch of the new drug is imminent.
  • 指日可待。
    Jiě jué zhè ge wèn tí de fāng àn zhǐ rì kě dài.
    A solution to this problem is in sight.

Origin

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
旨
旨zhǐ指zhǐ
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand form 手. The right part 旨 gives the sound.

Open 指 →

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

日 originally drew the sun. A mark was added inside to tell it apart from similar square shapes.

Open 日 →

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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

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
彳彳chì
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì待dài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

待 is built from 彳 on the left and 寺 on the right; 彳 is tied to the meaning, and 寺 gives the sound.

Open 待 →

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