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永无止境 (yǒng wú zhǐ jìng) — without end; endless; boundless (used for pursuits, learning, progress)

Definition

An idiom meaning 'endless, without limit' — used for ongoing pursuits like learning, science, or art. A chengyu-style four-character expression, more formal than a plain 无止尽.

idiom
without endendlessboundless (used for pursuits, learning, progress)

Examples

  • 永无止境，。
    Xué xí yǒng wú zhǐ jìng, wǒ men yào bú duàn nǔ lì.
    Learning is endless; we must keep working hard.
  • 永无止境。
    Kē xué de tàn suǒ yǒng wú zhǐ jìng.
    The exploration of science is without end.
  • 永无止境。
    Tā duì yì shù de zhuī qiú yǒng wú zhǐ jìng.
    His pursuit of art is boundless.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 永 was drawn as a long river with side streams, or as a person swimming in water.

Open 永 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

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

止 was drawn as a footprint pointing up, with three toes and a sole, originally showing a foot.

Open 止 →

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
竟
竟jìng境jìng
Same sound today

境 pairs 土 (earth) with 竟, which gives the sound; the 土 part carries the meaning.

Open 境 →
Appears in
Abstract ConceptsIdioms & Set Phrases

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