Chinese Conversation · Level 78
91 words
Chinese word
水到渠成
Pronunciation
Pinyinshuǐ dào qú chéng
Meaning
- idiomthings fall into place
Example
只要准备好了，水到渠成。zhǐ yào zhǔn bèi hǎo le shuǐ dào qú chéng
As long as everything is ready, things fall into place.
More examples
经过努力，事情终于水到渠成。jīng guò nǔ lì shì qíng zhōng yú shuǐ dào qú chéng
After hard work, things finally fall into place.
Core concept
Once the route is ready, movement continues without force until the goal is reached.
Common phrases
事情水到渠成shì qíng shuǐ dào qú chéng
things fall into place
目标水到渠成mù biāo shuǐ dào qú chéng
goals are achieved naturally
Similar words
自然而然zì rán ér rán: Taking place naturally, without deliberate action or added force.
顺其自然shùn qí zì rán: Letting events develop in their own way instead of trying to control them.
Definition in Chinese
指在前提条件具备后，事情无需强行推动而顺利实现。zhǐ zài qián tí tiáo jiàn jù bèi hòu shì qíng wú xū qiáng xíng tuī dòng ér shùn lì shí xiàn
Word origin
The four characters 水 (shuǐ, "water") + 到 (dào, "arrive") + 渠 (qú, "channel") + 成 (chéng, "form") create a scene in which flowing water and a formed channel make progress seem natural.
Usage tips
- For native English speakers, the image separates this idiom from a promise of effortless success because the preparation is part of the meaning, even when the final step feels easy.
Other meanings
- success comes when readyidiom