百折不挠

Meaning in Plain English

百折不挠 (bǎi zhé bù náo) means remaining determined after being defeated, delayed, or discouraged many times. Natural translations include “indomitable,” “resilient,” and “unyielding in the face of setbacks.”

Character Breakdown

Usage Example

她百折不挠，终于完成了这项研究。 She stayed resilient and finally completed the research.

The expression suits serious praise. It is stronger than simply saying someone is hardworking: it emphasizes persistence after obstacles.

Where It Comes From

The phrase comes down from an Eastern Han stele inscription — 《太尉乔玄碑》， the memorial stele for Grand Commandant Qiao Xuan, traditionally attributed to the calligrapher and essayist Cai Yong (蔡邕). The line 有百折而不回 honors Qiao Xuan’s unbending character as an official who survived factional politics. The sentiment was later fixed in the modern four-character form, and Fan Ye’s Book of the Later Han (后汉书) helped canonize it through Qiao Xuan’s biography. High-confidence sourcing, as inscriptions go.

More Ways to Use It

Sport:

这支球队百折不挠，连输三场后终于夺冠。 “The team was unshakeable — after three straight losses, they finally took the title.”

Encouragement:

创业路上百折不挠的人，运气都不会太差。 “People who stay unyielding through every setback on the startup road rarely fare badly.”

Cultural Note

The repeated “hundred bends” is an intensifier. Chinese uses a round number to suggest “again and again,” while the final 不挠 supplies the moral center: do not let adversity bend your resolve.

Related Sayings

• Unrelenting Perseverance
• Where There Is a Will, There Is a Way