只要功夫深，鐵杵磨成針 zhǐ yào gōng fu shēn ， tiě chǔ mó chéng zhēn

DEFINITIONS

  1. If you work at it hard enough, you can grind an iron bar into a needle.
  2. cf idiom 磨杵成針|磨杵成针, to grind an iron bar down to a fine needle (idiom); fig. to persevere in a difficult task
  3. to study diligently

CHARACTERS

只 zhǐ
HSK 3
only, just, simply
要 yào
HSK 2
necessary, essential; necessity
功 gōng
HSK 4
achievement, merit, good result
夫 fu
HSK 2
man, male adult, husband; those
深 shēn
HSK 4
deep; depth; far; very, extreme
鐵 tiě iron; strong, solid, firm
杵 chǔ pestle; baton used beat clothes
磨 mó
HSK 6
grind; polish; rub; wear out; a millstone
成 chéng
HSK 3
completed, finished, fixed
針 zhēn needle; pin; tack; acupuncture