一暴十寒

Chinese
 
one; single; a
one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)
 
sudden; violent; cruel
sudden; violent; cruel; to show or expose; to injure
 ten cold; poor; to tremble
simp. and trad.
(一暴十寒)		 一 暴 十 寒
alternative forms 一曝十寒

Etymology

From Mencius (《孟子·告子上》):

雖有天下易生之物也，一日暴之、十日寒之，未有能生者也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
虽有天下易生之物也，一日暴之、十日寒之，未有能生者也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Mencius, c. 4th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
Suī yǒu tiānxià yì shēng zhī wù yě, yīrì pù zhī, shírì hán zhī, wèi yǒu néng shēng zhě yě. [Pinyin]
Suppose the case of the most easily growing thing in the world; if you let it have one day's genial heat, and then expose it for ten days to cold, it will not be able to grow.

Pronunciation

Idiom

一暴十寒

  1. (figurative) to work hard for one day and do nothing for ten; to work by fits and starts; to act without perseverance or persistence

Synonyms
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