諺語 · a single proverb
定力與毅
Simplified: 定力与毅
What does 定力與毅 (dìng lì yǔ yì) mean?
定力與毅 (dìng lì yǔ yì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "composure and resolve." In use it means: The twin qualities of staying calm and staying committed; inner steadiness paired with outer persistence. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Ox.
Literally: "composure and resolve."
The reading
The composure keeps you from panicking. The resolve keeps you from quitting. Either one alone is insufficient: calm without direction drifts, and direction without calm shatters at the first impact. The person who has both is not invincible. They are just harder to stop.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common expression; modern self-cultivation language
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Perseverance & the Long Road, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 定力與毅 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 定力與毅 (dìng lì yǔ yì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Common expression; modern self-cultivation language. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 定力與毅?
In Mandarin it is dìng lì yǔ yì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 定力與毅 aloud in Mandarin.