无以成江海

無以成江海

wú yǐ chéng jiāng hǎi

quotation

Meanings

1 cannot form rivers and seas (without small streams)
2 without small accumulations, no great thing is possible (literally: there is no means to become river and sea)

Characters

Examples

HSK 7-9

不积小流，无以成江海，学习要一天一天积累。

Bù jī xiǎo liú, wú yǐ chéng jiāng hǎi, xuéxí yào yì tiān yì tiān jīlěi.

Without gathering small streams you cannot form rivers and seas - study must be accumulated day by day.

HSK 7-9

创业也是一样，不积小流，无以成江海。

Chuàngyè yě shì yíyàng, bù jī xiǎo liú, wú yǐ chéng jiāng hǎi.

Starting a business is the same - without small streams, no river or sea is formed.

Tips

history

From Xunzi 《荀子·劝学》 (Warring States): '不积跬步，无以至千里；不积小流，无以成江海。' (Without accumulating half-steps you cannot reach a thousand li; without gathering small streams you cannot form rivers and seas.) A cornerstone quotation on the value of steady accumulation.

usage

Always used with its paired line 不积小流. 无以 = 'there is no way to...', a common classical construction.

Stroke Order

无 wú

以 yǐ

成 chéng

江 jiāng

海 hǎi