一朝一夕 yī zhāo yī xī overnight

Explanation

这个成语形容时间短暂。

This idiom describes a short period of time.

Origin Story

战国时期，齐国有个叫田文的人，他非常聪明，很会做生意。有一天，他到一个市场上，看见一个农民正在卖一种很贵的水果，就问农民：“这种水果怎么卖？”农民说：“一两一钱。”田文觉得这个价格太贵了，就问农民：“为什么这么贵？你从哪里弄来的？”农民说：“这是我从很远的地方运来的，路上花了很长时间，才到这儿。”田文说：“你把这水果运到市场上来卖，一路上花了很长时间，而且还要付运输费、人工费，你赚什么钱？

zhàn guó shí qí, qí guó yǒu ge jiào tián wén de rén, tā fēi cháng cōng ming, hěn huì zuò shēng yì. yǒu yī tiān, tā dào yī ge shì chǎng shàng, kàn jiàn yī ge nóng mín zhèng zài mài yī zhǒng hěn guì de shuǐ guǒ, jiù wèn nóng mín: “zhè zhǒng shuǐ guǒ zěn me mài?” nóng mín shuō: “yī liǎng yī qián.” tián wén jué de zhè ge jià gé tài guì le, jiù wèn nóng mín: “wèi shén me zhè me guì? nǐ cóng nǎ lǐ nòng lái de?” nóng mín shuō: “zhè shì wǒ cóng hěn yuǎn de dì fāng yùn lái de, lù shàng huā le hěn cháng shí jiān, cái dào zhè ér.” tián wén shuō: “nǐ bǎ zhè shuǐ guǒ yùn dào shì chǎng shàng lái mài, yī lù shàng huā le hěn cháng shí jiān, ér qiě hái yào fù yùn shū fèi, rén gōng fèi, nǐ zhuàn shén me qián?”

During the Warring States period, there was a man named Tian Wen in the State of Qi. He was very intelligent and a very skilled businessman. One day, he went to a market and saw a farmer selling a very expensive fruit. He asked the farmer,

Usage

这个成语常用于表达：1. 一件事情需要很长时间才能完成，不可能很快就能实现；2. 某种情况形成的原因不是一两天就产生的，而是经过一段时间积累的结果。

zhè ge chéng yǔ cháng yòng yú biǎo dá: 1. yī jiàn shì qíng xū yào hěn cháng shí jiān cái néng wán chéng, bù kě néng hěn kuài jiù néng shí xiàn; 2. mǒu zhǒng qíng kuàng xíng chéng de yuán yīn bù shì yī liǎng tiān jiù chǎn shēng de, ér shì jīng guò yī duàn shí jiān jī lěi de jié guǒ.

This idiom is often used to express: 1. Something needs a long time to be completed, it cannot be realized quickly; 2. The reason for a certain situation is not formed in a day or two, but is the result of accumulation over a period of time.

Examples

• 学习不能一蹴而就，需要持之以恒，不能～就指望成功。

  xué xí bù néng yī cù ér jiù, xū yào chí zhí yí héng, bù néng yī zhāo yī xī jiù zhǐ wàng chéng gōng.

  Learning can't be achieved overnight, it requires perseverance, you can't expect to succeed.

• 创业需要积累，不可能～就获得巨大成就。

  chuàng yè xū yào jī lěi, bù kě néng yī zhāo yī xī jiù huò dé jù dà chéng jiù

  Starting a business requires accumulation, you can't expect to achieve great success overnight.

Related Idioms

• 一时半刻

• 弹指之间

• 转眼之间

Opposite Idioms

• 千秋万代

• 万古长存

• 地久天长