ChinesePod

1 If you work at it hard enough, you can grind an iron bar into a needle.
2 cf idiom 磨杵成針|磨杵成针, to grind an iron bar down to a fine needle (idiom); fig. to persevere in a difficult task
3 to study diligently

恨铁不成钢

hèn tiě bù chéng gāng

1 lit. to hate iron for not becoming steel
2 to feel resentful towards sb for failing to meet expectations and impatient to see improvement (idiom)

手无寸铁

shǒu wú cùn tiě

1 lit. not an inch of steel (idiom); unarmed and defenseless

斩钉截铁

zhǎn dīng jié tiě

1 lit. to chop the nail and slice the iron (idiom)
2 fig. resolute and decisive
3 unhesitating
4 categorical

Sample Sentences

那当然，我可是火箭队十几年的铁杆球迷了。

nà dāngrán ，wǒ kě shì Huǒjiànduì shíjǐ nián de tiěgān qiúmí le 。

Of course, I've been a dyed-in-the-wool Rockets fan for over a dozen years.

Go to Lesson

得了吧，球迷给予的支持还不够啊！我做国足的铁杆球迷已经20年了，但他们老是这样不争气，老是到了关键时刻就熄火，你说有什么办法。

déle ba ，qiúmí jǐyǔ de zhīchí hái bùgòu a ！wǒ zuò guózú de tiěgǎn qiúmí yǐjīng èrshí nián le ，dàn tāmen lǎoshi zhèyàng bùzhēngqì ，lǎoshi dào le guānjiàn shíkè jiù xīhuǒ ，nǐ shuō yǒu shénme bànfǎ 。

Save it - the support fans give isn't enough! I've been a diehard national football fan for 20 years already, but they've continually let everyone down. When the key moment comes, they always sputter out. What can be done?

Go to Lesson

我建议用铁杆。

wǒ jiànyì yòng tiěgān 。

I suggest you use an iron.

Go to Lesson