Chinese idiom · 成语
凿壁偷光
Meaning
Chisel wall, steal light; studying despite poverty.
Character by character
Origin and story
Traditional anecdoteThe Xi Jing Za Ji tells of Kuang Heng, a poor but eager student who had no candle for reading. Light from a neighbor's candle did not reach him, so he made an opening in the wall and held his book where the borrowed light fell. The account continues with a second difficulty: access to books. Kuang Heng worked for a wealthy local man, Wen Bushi, without asking for wages, explaining that he wanted to read the household's books. The owner admired his desire to learn and provided them.
The collection preserves anecdotes about Han times, but its authorship is disputed. This is a traditional account of resourcefulness in study, not independently verified detail from Kuang Heng's childhood.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
条件虽然艰苦，她仍有凿壁偷光的求学精神。
Although conditions are difficult, she still has the determination to study symbolized by borrowing light through a wall.
Usually invokes the old story to praise learning despite material hardship; not literal advice to damage a wall.