锲而不舍

Traditional form:

鍥而不捨

Pinyin (reading):

qiè'érbùshě

Definitions:

• to chip away at a task and not abandon it (idiom); to chisel away at sth
• to persevere
• unflagging efforts

Characters:

• 锲 - sickle; to cut, to carve, to engrave
• 而 - and, and then, and yet; but
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 舍 - house, dwelling; to reside, to dwell; to abandon, to give up

Traditional characters:

• 鍥 - sickle; to cut, to carve, to engrave
• 而 - and, and then, and yet; but
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 捨 - house, dwelling; to reside, to dwell; to abandon, to give up