心有餘而力不足

Chinese

		heart; mind	to have an abundance; odd; about to have an abundance; odd; about; or so	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	power; force; strength	insufficient; inadequate; lacking insufficient; inadequate; lacking; inadequacy; deficiency; dearth; shortage; want; lack; not enough
trad. (心有餘而力不足)		心	有餘	而	力	不足
simp. (心有余而力不足)		心	有余	而	力	不足

Etymology

From Dream of the Red Chamber:

賈政冷笑道：「你有多大本領！上頭說了一句大開門的散話，如今又要一句連轉帶煞，豈不心有餘而力不足呢？」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]

贾政冷笑道：「你有多大本领！上头说了一句大开门的散话，如今又要一句连转带煞，岂不心有余而力不足呢？」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

Jiǎ Zhèng lěng xiàodào: “Nǐ yǒu duōdà běnlǐng! Shàngtóu shuō le yījù dà kāimén de sànhuà, rújīn yòu yào yījù lián zhuǎn dài shā, qǐbù xīnyǒuyú'érlìbùzú ne?” [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): xīn yǒuyú ér lì bùzú

(Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄣㄧㄡˇ ㄩˊ ㄦˊ ㄌㄧˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄨˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): sam¹ jau⁵ jyu⁴ ji⁴ lik⁶ bat¹ zuk¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: xīn yǒuyú ér lì bùzú
  - Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄣㄧㄡˇ ㄩˊ ㄦˊ ㄌㄧˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄨˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: sin yǒuyú ér lì bùzú
  - Wade–Giles: hsin¹ yu³-yü² êrh² li⁴ pu⁴-tsu²
  - Yale: syīn yǒu-yú ér lì bù-dzú
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shin yeouyu erl lih butzwu
  - Palladius: синь ююй эр ли буцзу (sinʹ jujuj er li buczu)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕin⁵⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ li⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ t͡su³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: sam¹ jau⁵ jyu⁴ ji⁴ lik⁶ bat¹ zuk¹
  - Yale: sām yáuh yùh yìh lihk bāt jūk
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sam¹ jau⁵ jy⁴ ji⁴ lik⁹ bat⁷ dzuk⁷
  - Guangdong Romanization: sem¹ yeo⁵ yu⁴ yi⁴ lig⁶ bed¹ zug¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɐm⁵⁵ jɐu̯¹³ jyː²¹ jiː²¹ lɪk̚² pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʊk̚⁵/

Idiom

心有餘而力不足

the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak; to be unable to do what one wants very much to do; to have the ambition but lack the ability

Synonyms

心餘力絀／心余力绌 (xīnyúlìchù)
力不從心／力不从心 (lìbùcóngxīn)

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