大浪淘沙

dàlàngtáoshā

idiom

Meanings

1 great waves washing away the sand
2 harsh tests separating the worthy from the worthless
3 survival of only the finest

Characters

to wash; to rinse away

Examples

经过市场大浪淘沙，真正的好产品才能留下来。

Jīngguò shìchǎng dàlàngtáoshā, zhēnzhèng de hǎo chǎnpǐn cáinéng liú xiàlái.

After the market sifts everything through its waves, only truly good products remain.

历史就是大浪淘沙，留下的都是精华。

Lìshǐ jiùshì dàlàngtáoshā, liú xià de dōu shì jīnghuá.

History is a winnowing process — what remains is the essence.

创业是一场大浪淘沙的过程。

Chuàngyè shì yī chǎng dàlàngtáoshā de guòchéng.

Starting a business is a winnowing process — only the fittest survive.

Tips

usage

Often used at the end of a sentence as a stand-alone metaphor, or as an attributive: 大浪淘沙的过程/考验. Describes markets, history, competitions — anywhere harsh conditions select for quality.

culture

Also the title of a 1977 Chinese film 《大浪淘沙》 about young revolutionaries in 1920s Guangzhou, and the name of several TV dramas. The phrase carries connotations of historical reckoning, not just competitive filtering.

Stroke Order

大 dà

浪 làng

淘 táo

沙 shā