心有余而力不足

心有餘而力不足

xīnyǒuyú'érlìbùzú

idiom #47,178

Meanings

1 the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
2 to have the desire but lack the strength
3 more willing than able

Characters

Examples

HSK 3

面对这么多任务，他感到心有余而力不足。

Miànduì zhème duō rènwù, tā gǎndào xīnyǒuyú'érlìbùzú.

Facing so many tasks, he felt his energy fell short of his ambition.

HSK 5

我也想帮你搬家，可惜心有余而力不足。

Wǒ yě xiǎng bāng nǐ bānjiā, kěxī xīnyǒuyú'érlìbùzú.

I'd love to help you move, but I'm willing in spirit, weak in body.

Tips

usage

Common polite refusal - softens 'no' by saying you want to help but truly cannot. The 而 makes the orthography require an apostrophe: yǒuyú'ér.

Stroke Order

心 xīn

有 yǒu

余 yú

而 ér

力 lì

不 bù

足 zú