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野火烧不尽

野火燒不盡
yěhuǒshāobújìn
phrase #81,728

Meanings

  1. 1 wildfire cannot burn it out — impossible to completely wipe out, will always grow back
  2. 2 literally: wild fire cannot burn it exhaustively

Examples

盗版问题野火烧不尽，必须从需求端治理。
Dàobǎn wèntí yěhuǒ shāo bú jìn, bìxū cóng xūqiú duān zhìlǐ.
Piracy is impossible to fully stamp out — it has to be tackled on the demand side.
谣言野火烧不尽，春风吹又生。
Yáoyán yěhuǒ shāo bú jìn, chūnfēng chuī yòu shēng.
Rumours can't be burnt out — when spring winds blow they rise again.

Tips

history
From Bai Juyi's (白居易) Tang poem 《赋得古原草送别》 (Farewell on the Ancient Plain, Composed on the Grass). The famous couplet reads: 野火烧不尽，春风吹又生 — 'Wildfire cannot burn it all; when spring winds blow, it grows again.' Reportedly written by Bai Juyi at 16 as an examination-piece for entering the capital. The image of indestructible grass became the enduring Chinese metaphor for resilience.
usage
Paired couplet — the second half 春风吹又生 is often supplied by the listener. Modern use is roughly split between admiring (resilient spirit) and resigned (ineradicable problem), depending on what it's applied to.

Stroke Order

野 yě
火 huǒ
烧 shāo
不 bù
尽 jǐn