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留得青山在，不怕没柴烧

liú de qīng shān zài , bù pà méi chái shāodictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
While the green hills last, there'll be wood to burn (idiom). Where there's life there's hope.
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-7c47e97a14d60231. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

留得青山在，不怕沒柴燒 留得青山在，不怕没柴烧 [liu2 de5 qing1 shan1 zai4 , bu4 pa4 mei2 chai2 shao1] /While the green hills last, there'll be wood to burn (idiom). Where there's life there's hope./

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 留得青山在，不怕沒柴燒

  • 留
    liú

    to leave (a message etc) / to retain / to stay / to remain / to keep / to preserve

  • 得
    dé

    to obtain / to get / to gain / to catch (a disease) / proper / suitable / proud / contented / to allow / to permit / ready / finished

    dè

    used in 得瑟[dè se]

    de

    structural particle: used after a verb (or adjective as main verb), linking it to following phrase indicating effect, degree, possibility etc

    děi

    to have to / must / ought to / to need to

  • 青
    qīng

    green / blue / black / youth / young (of people)

    Qīng

    short name for Qinghai 青海[Qīng hǎi]

  • 山
    shān

    mountain / hill (CL:座[zuò]) / (coll.) small bundle of straw for silkworms to spin cocoons on

    Shān

    surname Shan

  • 在
    zài

    to exist / to be alive / (of sb or sth) to be (located) at / (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)

  • 不
    bù

    no / not so / (bound form) not / un-

  • 怕
    pà

    to be afraid / to fear / to dread / to be unable to endure / perhaps

    Pà

    surname Pa

  • 没
    méi

    (negative prefix for verbs) have not / not

    mò

    drowned / to end / to die / to inundate

  • 柴
    chái

    firewood / lean (of meat) / thin (of a person)

    Chái

    surname Chai

  • 烧
    shāo

    to burn / to set on fire / to heat (over a fire) / to boil (water, tea etc) / to braise / to cook / to prepare food / to run a fever / fever / (coll.) to become full of oneself / to get carried away

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.