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篳路藍縷

简筚路蓝缕 · 繁篳路藍縷

Mandarin · pinyin bì lù lán lǚ

the hardships of beginning an undertaking (idiom)

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Characters in this entry

篳: Look up this written character
路: lù · road, path, street; journey
藍: Look up this written character
縷: Look up this written character
筚: bì · wicker, bamboo
蓝: lán · blue; indigo plant; surname
缕: lǚ · thread; detailed, precise

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

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Mandarin tones

4–4–2–3 · bi4 lu4 lan2 lu:3

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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.

篳路藍縷 · find source passages ↗ · 筚路蓝缕 · find source passages ↗

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(figurative, of a pioneer) braving hardships and difficulties in beginning an undertaking

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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