读Read Mandarin
HSK 6 · Fluent

坚持的力量Jiānchí de lìliàngThe Power of Persistence

HSK 6 reading practice · 65 words · ~1 min
古人gǔrén说shuō:“滴水穿石dī shuǐ chuān shí。”
The ancients said: "Dripping water pierces stone."
一滴yì dī水shuǐ的de力量lìliàng微不足道wēibùzúdào,但dàn日复一日rì fù yí rì,竟jìng能néng把bǎ坚硬jiānyìng的de石头shítou穿透chuāntòu。
A single drop of water is insignificant, yet day after day it can pierce through solid stone.
学习xuéxí语言yǔyán也yě是shì如此rúcǐ,靠kào的de不是bú shì一时yìshí的de热情rèqíng,而是ér shì长期chángqī的de积累jīlěi。
Learning a language is the same: it relies not on momentary enthusiasm, but on long-term accumulation.
每天měitiān进步jìnbù一点点yìdiǎndiǎn,看似kànsì微小wēixiǎo,却què终将zhōngjiāng汇聚huìjù成chéng惊人jīngrén的de变化biànhuà。
Improving a little every day seems tiny, yet it will eventually converge into astonishing change.
所以suǒyǐ,请qǐng相信xiāngxìn坚持jiānchí的de力量lìliàng。
So please believe in the power of persistence.
🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

滴水穿石dī shuǐ chuān shídripping water pierces stone (idiom)
微不足道wēibùzúdàoinsignificant (idiom)
而是ér shìbut rather
积累jīlěiaccumulation
汇聚huìjùto converge; to gather
坚持jiānchíto persist

Grammar note 语法点

不是 A,而是 B — not A, but rather B

Corrects an assumption by replacing it: 靠的不是热情,而是积累. 而是 must introduce the true statement.

学好中文靠的不是天赋,而是坚持。 — Mastering Chinese relies not on talent, but on persistence.

Check yourself 小测验

1. What does “滴水穿石” illustrate?
2. Learning a language relies on...
3. Daily small progress will eventually...

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