积习难改 jī xí nán gǎi deep-rooted habits are hard to change

Explanation

长期形成的习惯很难改变。

Long-formed habits are difficult to change.

Origin Story

老张是一个有着几十年烟龄的老烟民，每天至少要抽两包烟。他的妻子多次劝他戒烟，可老张总是说：“戒烟太难了，我已经抽了几十年烟了，改不了了！”儿子也劝他，说吸烟有害健康，老张还是不听。有一天，老张感到身体不适，去医院检查，医生告诉他，他的肺部已经严重受损，必须立即戒烟，否则后果不堪设想。老张这才意识到吸烟的危害，下定决心戒烟。可是，戒烟的过程非常痛苦，他总是忍不住想抽烟，经常半夜爬起来找烟抽。几次尝试戒烟都失败了，老张感到非常沮丧。朋友们也劝他，说戒烟需要毅力，要坚持下去。老张想起了儿子的劝告，也想到了医生的警告。他咬紧牙关，坚持不抽烟，每天都用各种方法来转移注意力，比如看书、听音乐、运动等等。经过长时间的努力，老张终于戒掉了烟瘾。他感到身体越来越好，精神也越来越饱满。他终于明白，积习难改不是绝对的，只要有足够的毅力，任何坏习惯都能改掉。

lǎo zhāng shì yīgè yǒuzhe jǐ shí nián yān líng de lǎo yānmín, měi tiān zhì shǎo yào chōu liǎng bāo yān. tā de qīzi duō cì quàn tā jiè yān, kě lǎo zhāng zǒng shì shuō:' jiè yān tài nán le, wǒ yǐjīng chōu le jǐ shí nián yān le, gǎi bù liǎo le!' érzi yě quàn tā, shuō xī yān yǒu hài jiànkāng, lǎo zhāng háishì bù tīng. yǒu yītiān, lǎo zhāng gǎndào shēntǐ bù shì, qù yīyuàn jiǎnchá, yīshēng gào sù tā, tā de fèibù yǐjīng yánzhòng shòusǔn, bìxū lìjí jiè yān, fǒuzé hòuguǒ bù kàn shèxiǎng. lǎo zhāng zhè cái yìshí dào xī yān de wēihài, xià dìng juéxīn jiè yān. kěshì, jiè yān de guòchéng fēicháng tòngkǔ, tā zǒng shì rěn bù zhù xiǎng chōu yān, jīngcháng bàn yè pá qǐlái zhǎo yān chōu. jǐ cì chángshì jiè yān dōu shībài le, lǎo zhāng gǎndào fēicháng jǔsàng. péngyou men yě quàn tā, shuō jiè yān xūyào yìlì, yào jiānchí xiàqù. lǎo zhāng xiǎng qǐ le érzi de quàngào, yě xiǎng dào le yīshēng de jǐnggào. tā yǎo jǐn yágūan, jiānchí bù chōu yān, měi tiān dōu yòng gè zhǒng fāngfǎ lái zhuǎnyí zhùyìlì, bǐrú kànshū, tīng yīnyuè, yùndòng děng děng. jīngguò cháng shíjiān de nǔlì, lǎo zhāng zhōngyú jiè diào le yānyǐn. tā gǎndào shēntǐ yuè lái yuè hǎo, jīngshen yě yuè lái yuè bǎomǎn. tā zhōngyú míngbái, jī xí nán gǎi bùshì juéduì de, zhǐyào yǒu gòu de yìlì, rènhé huài xíguàn dōu néng gǎi diào.

Old Zhang is a veteran smoker with decades of smoking experience, smoking at least two packs of cigarettes every day. His wife has repeatedly advised him to quit smoking, but Old Zhang always says: “It's too difficult to quit smoking. I've been smoking for decades, I can't change it!” His son also advises him that smoking is harmful to health, but Old Zhang still doesn't listen. One day, Old Zhang felt unwell and went to the hospital for a check-up. The doctor told him that his lungs were already seriously damaged and he must quit smoking immediately, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable. Only then did Old Zhang realize the dangers of smoking and made up his mind to quit. However, the process of quitting smoking was very painful. He always couldn't help wanting to smoke and often got up in the middle of the night to look for cigarettes. Several attempts to quit smoking failed, and Old Zhang felt very depressed. Friends also advised him that quitting smoking requires perseverance and that he must persevere. Old Zhang remembered his son's advice and the doctor's warning. He gritted his teeth and stopped smoking, and used various methods to distract his attention every day, such as reading, listening to music, exercising, etc. After a long period of effort, Old Zhang finally quit his smoking addiction. He felt his body getting better and better, and his spirit was getting more and more full. He finally understood that it's not absolute that "habit is hard to change". As long as there is enough perseverance, any bad habit can be changed.

Usage

形容长期养成的习惯很难改变。

xiáorong chángqí yǎngchéng de xíguàn hěn nán gǎibiàn

Describes habits that are difficult to change.

Examples

• 他年轻时染上的坏习惯，真是积习难改。

  tā nián qīng shí rǎn shang de huài xíguàn, zhēn shì jī xí nán gǎi

  His bad habits acquired in his youth are difficult to change.

• 老烟枪，积习难改，戒烟很困难。

  lǎo yānqīng, jī xí nán gǎi, jiè yān hěn kùnnan

  A chain smoker, habit is hard to change, it is difficult to quit smoking.

Related Idioms

• 积重难返

• 习以为常

Opposite Idioms

• 痛改前非

• 改过自新