聚沙成塔
jù shā chéng tǎ
grains of sand piled up make a pagoda; small amounts add up
Character by character
聚jù
gather
gather
沙shā
sand
sand
成chéng
make
make
塔tǎ
pagoda
pagoda
Example
村图书馆的一万多本书，是村民和游客一本一本捐出来的，真是聚沙成塔。
The village library’s ten thousand-odd books were given one at a time by villagers and visitors: grains of sand that have become a pagoda.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
From the Lotus Sutra, where even children who heap sand into a stupa in play are said to have attained the Buddha way (乃至童子戏，聚沙为佛塔……皆已成佛道). Used of saving, study and collecting; often paired with 集腋成裘. Plainer equivalent: 积少成多.
Learn this in Lesson 201 · HSK 7–9: 读懂工资条 (Reading your payslip)
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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