one person cannot save the situation; single-handed
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
a single log cannot support a collapsing building; one person alone cannot save a desperate situation
formalOften used to express that a task is too heavy for one person to handle alone. The input pinyin 'yī mù nán zhī' refers to the less common variant form 一木难支 (one wood/pole), while 独木难支 (single/alone wood/pole) is the standard form.
Zhè这
jiàn件
shì事
guāng光
kào靠
wǒ我
yī一
gè个
rén人
bàn办
bù不
chéng成
，
dú独
mù木
nán难
zhī支
a啊
！
I can't handle this matter alone—one person can't hold up the sky!
Gōng公
sī司
xiàn现
zài在
wēi危
jī机
sì四
fú伏
，
tā他
dú独
mù木
nán难
zhī支
，
xū需
yào要
dà大
jiā家
gòng共
tóng同
nǔ努
lì力
。
The company is now beset with crises; he cannot hold it up alone and needs everyone's joint efforts.
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Zhòng众
qíng擎
yì易
jǔ举
，
dú独
mù木
nán难
zhī支
。
Many hands make light work, but a single log cannot support the weight.