Definition
孤掌难鸣 literally means 'one palm cannot clap' — a single hand can't produce sound. As a chengyu, it describes a situation where one person cannot achieve much without help or cooperation from others. It's used to emphasize the importance of teamwork or mutual support.
f.e.
It's difficult to succeed aloneone needs support.
Examples
- ,孤掌难鸣。Zhè jiàn shì wǒ yí gè rén zuò bù liǎo, zhēn shì gū zhǎng nán míng.I can't do this alone; it's truly a case of 'one hand can't clap'.
- ,孤掌难鸣。Wǒmen tuánduì hézuò cáinéng chénggōng, gū zhǎng nán míng shuōmíng le zhège dàolǐ.Our team needs cooperation to succeed; 'one hand can't clap' illustrates this truth.
- ,孤掌难鸣,。Zài kùnnán miànqián, gū zhǎng nán míng, wǒmen xūyào hùxiāng bāngzhù.In the face of difficulty, 'one hand can't clap' — we need to help each other.
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