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自力更生 (zì lì gēng shēng) — self-reliance; regeneration through one's own efforts (idiom)

Definition

A four-character idiom meaning 'self-reliance' — relying on your own strength to rebuild or pull through, rather than outside help. Often used for nations, teams, or individuals overcoming hardship.

phrase
self-relianceregeneration through one's own efforts (idiom)

Examples

  • ，自力更生。
    Miàn duì kùn nan, wǒ men yào kào zì lì gēng shēng jīng shén lái kè fú.
    Facing difficulties, we must rely on the spirit of self-reliance to overcome them.
  • 自力更生。
    Zhè ge guó jiā tōng guò zì lì gēng shēng fā zhǎn le jīng jì.
    This country developed its economy through self-reliance.
  • 自力更生。
    Tā cóng xiǎo jiù zhī dào zì lì gēng shēng de zhòng yào xìng.
    He has known the importance of self-reliance since childhood.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

自 originally drew a nose. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write 自, so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

Open 自 →

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

力 is drawn as either an arm bending out from the side of the body or a wooden plough.

Open 力 →

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
攴攴pūhand holding a whip; action
Sound part声符shēngfú
𰀒
𰀒𰀒更gēng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The old form showed two chariots, 𰀒; 攴, a hand holding a whip, was added to show action, and one chariot part was dropped. The remaining part changed into the shape seen in 更.

Open 更 →

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

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Idioms & Set PhrasesSuccess & Failure

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