Chinese characters and pinyin
Simplified: 滴水穿石
Traditional: 滴水穿石
Pinyin: dī shuǐ chuān shí
Literal translation
Dripping water penetrates stone.
Natural English meaning
Small, repeated efforts can overcome a formidable obstacle.
Closest English equivalent
Constant dripping wears away the stone.
The images and lessons are nearly identical.
When to use it
Use it to praise patient, sustained effort.
When not to use it
Avoid presenting it as a literal rule; the force of the saying depends on context and tone.
Example sentence
她坚持练习多年，真是滴水穿石。
Years of steady practice show how persistence can wear through stone.
Origin and cultural context
The image is attested in earlier Chinese writing; a Tang poem uses the wording ‘dripping water can penetrate stone,’ and the expression later became a standard idiom.
Classification: idiom. This label distinguishes a complete proverb or popular saying from a compact idiom or a quotation preserved from a classical text.
