老骥伏枥

lǎo jì fú lì

old in years but still full of ambition

Character by character

老lǎo
old

骥jì
steed

伏fú
lies at

枥lì
manger

爷爷七十多岁了还在学外语，真是老骥伏枥，志在千里。

Grandpa is over seventy and still learning a foreign language: an old steed in the stable that still dreams of galloping a thousand li.

Tone: positive (praise).

From 曹操’s poem 龟虽寿: 老骥伏枥，志在千里；烈士暮年，壮心不已. Usually followed by 志在千里, and said in praise of an older person who keeps striving.

Learn this in Lesson 89 · HSK 6–7: 三国：历史与小说 (The Three Kingdoms: history and the novel)

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.