📖 Meaning
To break through thorny undergrowth on a difficult path, metaphorically meaning to overcome great obstacles and hardships to forge ahead. It describes clearing away all barriers in pursuit of a goal with courage and determination.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom traces back to the Eastern Han dynasty. The founder of Eastern Han, Emperor Guangwu (Liu Xiu), sent his general Feng Yi on a military campaign. Feng Yi described the hardships of his march, saying he had to cut through thorns and brambles to open the way. The phrase was later recorded in the Book of Later Han (《后汉书·冯异传》), where it became a literary expression for forging a path through extreme difficulty.
💡 Example Usage
创业初期，他们披荆斩棘，终于把公司做大做强了。
In the early days of starting the business, they overcame countless obstacles and finally built the company into a major success.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 披荆斩棘
- Pinyin: pī jīng zhǎn jí
- Literal Translation: drape over thorns, chop brambles
- Category: Perseverance
- Characters: 4