| 恨铁不成钢 |
hèn tiě bù chéng gāng |
lit. disappointed that iron does not turn into steel (idiom) / fig. frustrated with sb who has failed to meet one's expectations |
| 恨 |
hèn |
to hate / to regret |
| 铁 |
Tiě |
surname Tie |
| 铁 |
tiě |
iron (metal) / arms / weapons / hard / strong / violent / unshakeable / determined / close / tight (slang) |
| 不 |
bù |
no; not so / (bound form) not; un- |
| 不成 |
bù chéng |
won't do / unable to / (at the end of a rhetorical question) can that be? |
| 成 |
Chéng |
surname Cheng / short name for Chengdu 成都 |
| 成 |
chéng |
to succeed / to finish / to complete / to accomplish / to become / to turn into / to be all right / OK! / one tenth |
| 钢 |
gāng |
steel |