心餘力絀

Chinese

		heart; mind	remainder	power; force; strength	crimson silk; deficiency; to stitch
trad. (心餘力絀)		心	餘	力	絀
simp. (心余力绌)		心	余	力	绌

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xīnyúlìchù

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄣ ㄩˊ ㄌㄧˋ ㄔㄨˋ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xīnyúlìchù
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄣ ㄩˊ ㄌㄧˋ ㄔㄨˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sinyúlìchù
    • Wade–Giles: hsin¹-yü²-li⁴-chʻu⁴
    • Yale: syīn-yú-lì-chù
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shinyulihchuh
    • Palladius: синьюйличу (sinʹjujliču)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕin⁵⁵ y³⁵ li⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵¹/

Idiom

心餘力絀

1. the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak; to be unable to do what one wants very much to do; to have the ambition but lack the ability

Synonyms

• 心有餘而力不足／心有余而力不足 (xīn yǒuyú ér lì bùzú)
• 力不從心／力不从心 (lìbùcóngxīn)