Chinese idiom · 成语
乘风破浪
Meaning
To ride the wind and break waves; to forge ahead boldly.
Character by character
Origin and story
Historical anecdoteIn the Songshu's biography of Zong Que, his uncle asks the young man about his ambition. Zong Que replies that he wishes to ride the long wind and break through waves stretching ten thousand li. The statement expresses a bold aspiration; it is not a report that he has already completed an extraordinary sea voyage.
The uncle, Zong Bing, belongs to a family environment that values literary study, while Zong Que prefers martial activity. The image later condenses to 乘风破浪 and can describe a vessel literally cutting through waves or, figuratively, someone moving courageously through difficulties toward a large goal.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
创业路上困难不少，希望我们能一起乘风破浪。
There will be plenty of difficulties in starting a business; I hope we can face them boldly together.
An encouraging image of forward movement despite obstacles.