百炼成钢

百煉成鋼

bǎiliàn-chénggāng

idiom

Meanings

1 tempered a hundred times into steel
2 hardened by repeated trials
3 strength forged through long discipline

Characters

to refine / temper

Examples

HSK 5

运动员经过多年训练，百炼成钢。

Yùndòngyuán jīngguò duōnián xùnliàn, bǎiliàn-chénggāng.

After years of training, the athlete was tempered like steel.

HSK 6

只有百炼成钢的团队才能面对这样的挑战。

Zhǐyǒu bǎiliàn-chénggāng de tuánduì cáinéng miànduì zhèyàng de tiǎozhàn.

Only a battle-hardened team can face this kind of challenge.

HSK 7-9

没有磨练，就没有百炼成钢。

Méiyǒu móliàn, jiù méiyǒu bǎiliàn-chénggāng.

Without trials, no one is forged into steel.

Tips

history

From 汉·陈琳《武军赋》: a Han-dynasty war rhapsody describing armor of 'steel tempered a hundred times' (百炼精刚). Iron ore was literally folded and hammered again and again by ancient smiths to drive out impurities - the figurative meaning grew directly out of the forge.

Stroke Order

百 bǎi

炼 liàn

成 chéng

钢 gāng