夸父追日

Kuāfùzhuīrì

idiom

Meanings

1 Kuafu chasing the sun
2 to pursue an overly ambitious or impossible goal; an heroic but doomed effort

Characters

boast (here: Kuafu, a name)

Examples

他一个人想完成这么大的项目,简直是夸父追日。

Tā yī gè rén xiǎng wánchéng zhème dà de xiàngmù, jiǎnzhí shì Kuāfù zhuī rì.

Him trying to finish such a huge project alone is just like Kuafu chasing the sun.

夸父追日的故事表达了中国人不畏艰难的精神。

Kuāfù zhuī rì de gùshì biǎodá le Zhōngguó rén bú wèi jiānnán de jīngshén.

The story of Kuafu chasing the sun expresses the Chinese spirit of fearlessness in the face of difficulty.

这种精神就是夸父追日。

Zhè zhǒng jīngshén jiùshì Kuāfù zhuī rì.

This kind of spirit is like Kuafu chasing the sun.

Tips

culture

From 《山海经》(Shān Hǎi Jīng, Classic of Mountains and Seas). The giant Kuafu raced the sun, dried two rivers dry from thirst, collapsed and died before reaching it. His staff transformed into a peach forest. In modern usage the idiom carries both tones: foolhardy overreach AND admirable determination.

Stroke Order

夸 kuā

父 fù

追 zhuī

日 rì