九牛二虎之力

jiǔniú'èrhǔzhīlì

idiom

Meanings

Wǒ fèi le jiǔ niú èr hǔ zhī lì cái bǎ zhège xínglǐxiāng bān shàng lóu.

It took me enormous effort to get this suitcase up the stairs.

Fèi le jiǔ niú èr hǔ zhī lì, zhōngyú shuōfú le fùmǔ.

After a huge effort, I finally convinced my parents.

usage

Typical pattern: 费/花 + 九牛二虎之力 + 才/终于 ... Marks an accomplishment as hard-won, often with a hint of exasperation.

九 jiǔ

牛 niú

二 èr

虎 hǔ

之 zhī

力 lì