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磨杵成針

简磨杵成针 · 繁磨杵成針

Mandarin · pinyin mó chǔ chéng zhēn

to grind an iron bar down to a fine needle (idiom); fig. to persevere in a difficult task
to study diligently

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Characters in this entry

磨: mó · grind; polish; rub; wear out; a millstone
杵: chǔ · pestle; baton used beat clothes
成: chéng · completed, finished, fixed
針: Look up this written character
针: zhēn · needle; pin; tack; acupuncture

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–3–2–1 · mo2 chu3 cheng2 zhen1

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

磨杵成針 · find source passages ↗ · 磨杵成针 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

mo4 cyu5 sing4 zam1

Cantonese word readings for 磨杵成針. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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