路遥知马力

路遙知馬力

lù yáo zhī mǎlì

proverb

Meanings

1 a long road tests a horse's strength
2 only over time is true character revealed
3 part of the saying 路遥知马力，日久见人心

Characters

Examples

HSK 4

别急着下结论，路遥知马力。

Bié jí zhe xiàjiélùn, lù yáo zhī mǎlì.

Don't rush to conclusions - time will tell.

HSK 6

路遥知马力，这个团队合作十年才看出谁最可靠。

Lù yáo zhī mǎlì, zhège tuánduì hézuò shínián cái kànchū shéi zuì kěkào.

A long road tests a horse's strength - after ten years of working together, we finally see who is truly reliable.

Tips

history

From the anonymous Yuan-dynasty drama 《争报恩》, Act 1; the full folk saying is 路遥知马力，日久见人心. It means a long journey reveals a horse's stamina, and long acquaintance reveals a person's character.

usage

Usually only the first half 路遥知马力 is spoken, leaving the listener to supply the second half 日久见人心.

Stroke Order

路 lù

遥 yáo

知 zhī

马 mǎ

力 lì