百炼成钢
bǎi liàn chéng gāng
tempered into steel by repeated trials
Character by character
百bǎi
hundred
hundred
炼liàn
refinings
refinings
成chéng
become
become
钢gāng
steel
steel
Example
经过十几年的伤病和失败，他百炼成钢，成了队里最稳的老将。
After more than ten years of injuries and defeats he has been tempered like steel and become the steadiest veteran in the team.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
Iron refined again and again turns into steel. Praises a person or team shaped by long hardship, in speeches, sports reports and memoirs. Compare 千锤百炼 (lesson 5-23), “a thousand hammerings”, which also praises polished writing or craft.
Learn this in Lesson 148 · HSK 7–9: 举重与举国体制 (Weightlifting and the state sports system)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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