諺語 · a single proverb
一點一滴
Simplified: 一点一滴
What does 一點一滴 (yī diǎn yī dī) mean?
一點一滴 (yī diǎn yī dī) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "one point, one drop." In use it means: The smallest increments of effort or care; building something meaningful through the tiniest individual contributions. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Goat.
Literally: "one point, one drop."
The reading
The bucket was filled one drop at a time. Nobody remembers the individual drops. But the bucket remembers all of them. The difference between empty and full is not one dramatic pour. It is a thousand moments where someone chose to contribute one more drop instead of walking away.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common expression; rooted in Buddhist and folk wisdom
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 Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 一點一滴 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一點一滴 (yī diǎn yī dī) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Common expression; rooted in Buddhist and folk wisdom. 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 一點一滴?
In Mandarin it is yī diǎn yī dī. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一點一滴 aloud in Mandarin.