步履维艰 (bù lǚ wéi jiān) — to walk with difficulty (literally); to face great difficulties in one's work or progress (figuratively)

Definition

Literally 'each step is hard': walking or making progress with great difficulty, often used figuratively for an enterprise, reform, or career in trouble.

idiom
to walk with difficulty (literally)to face great difficulties in one's work or progress (figuratively)

Examples

  • ，步履维艰。
    Tā shòu shāng zhī hòu, zǒu lù bù lǚ wéi jiān.
    He walked with difficulty after being injured.
  • 步履维艰。
    Gōng sī de gǎi gé xiàn zài bù lǚ wéi jiān.
    The company's reform is currently facing great difficulties.
  • 步履维艰。
    Tā zài chuàng yè de dào lù shang bù lǚ wéi jiān.
    He met with many difficulties on his entrepreneurial path.

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

步 uses two 止 (foot) forms, one reversed, to show one foot stepping in front of the other.

Open 步 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

Early 履 put together 眉, 頁 (a person with a prominent head), 止 (foot), and 舟 (a shoe or shoe-shaped boat).

Open 履 →

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 維; 维 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìthread
Sound part声符shēngfú
唯
唯wéi維wéi
Same sound today

In the traditional form 維, 糸 marks a thread meaning and 唯 provides the sound; the simplified 维 is a later shortened shape.

Open 维 →

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 艱; 艰 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
𦰩𦰩𦰩
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn艱jiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 艱 pairs 𦰩 for meaning with 艮 for sound; the simplified 艰 is a later abbreviation.

Open 艰 →

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