竿头步

竿頭步

gāntóubù

idiom

Meanings

1 a step beyond the top of the pole (fig.)
2 a stride toward ever-greater heights
3 continued progress past what seemed the summit

Characters

pole, bamboo pole

Examples

学业有成，还要更进竿头步。

Xuéyè yǒu chéng, hái yào gèng jìn gāntóubù.

With his studies bearing fruit, he still pushes for a further step beyond the summit.

Tips

history

From the Chan Buddhist saying 百尺竿头，更进一步 ("atop a hundred-foot pole, take one more step") — the image of refusing to stop even at what looks like the peak. Literary, rare in everyday speech.

Stroke Order

竿 gān

头 tóu

步 bù