Chinese characters and pinyin
Simplified: 只要功夫深，铁杵磨成针
Traditional: 只要功夫深，鐵杵磨成針
Pinyin: zhǐ yào gōng fu shēn, tiě chǔ mó chéng zhēn
Literal translation
With deep enough effort, an iron pestle can be ground into a needle.
Natural English meaning
Extraordinary patience can accomplish what first appears impossible.
Closest English equivalent
Little strokes fell great oaks.
Both use physical transformation to dramatize the power of sustained effort.
When to use it
Use it for long projects that reward patient repetition.
When not to use it
Avoid presenting it as a literal rule; the force of the saying depends on context and tone.
Example sentence
每天坚持写一点，铁杵也能磨成针。
Write a little every day; sustained effort can turn an iron bar into a needle.
Origin and cultural context
Popularly linked to a story about the poet Li Bai learning perseverance from an old woman grinding an iron pestle.
Classification: proverb. This label distinguishes a complete proverb or popular saying from a compact idiom or a quotation preserved from a classical text.
