学如逆水行舟，不进则退

xué rú nì shuǐ xíng zhōu , bù jìn zé tuì

Definitions

1. study is like rowing upstream – if you don't keep pushing forward, you fall behind

Child Words of 学如逆水行舟，不进则退

• 不 bù: no; not so
• 则 zé: (literary) (conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but; then
• 如 rú: as
• 学 xué: to learn
• 水 shuǐ: water
• 舟 zhōu: boat
• 行 háng: row
• 行 xíng: to walk
• 退 tuì: to retreat; to withdraw
• 逆 nì: contrary
• 进 jìn: to go forward
• 逆水 nì shuǐ: against the current
• 逆水行舟 nì shuǐ xíng zhōu: lit. navigating a boat against the current (idiom)
• 逆水行舟，不进则退 nì shuǐ xíng zhōu , bù jìn zé tuì: like rowing a boat upstream, if you stop moving forward you fall back (idiom)