水到渠成

shuǐdàoqúchéng

idiom #23,319

Meanings

1 when water flows, a channel is formed
2 things will work out naturally when conditions are right
3 success follows naturally when the time is ripe

Characters

to arrive / to reach

canal / channel / ditch

to form / to succeed / to become

Examples

只要努力准备，考试自然水到渠成。

Zhǐyào nǔlì zhǔnbèi, kǎoshì zìrán shuǐdàoqúchéng.

As long as you prepare hard, exam success will come naturally.

两人相处融洽，结婚也是水到渠成的事。

Liǎng rén xiāngchǔ rónqià, jiéhūn yě shì shuǐdàoqúchéng de shì.

The two get along well, so marriage is only a natural next step.

Tips

memory

Picture water (水) flowing downhill — wherever it goes (到), it carves its own channel (渠成). No forcing needed. Use this idiom when conditions naturally lead to a good outcome.

Stroke Order

水 shuǐ

到 dào

渠 qú

成 chéng