心有余而力不足 in English xin1 you3 yu2 er2 li4 bu4 zu2 Meaning

Meanings

  • the will is there, but not the strength (idiomatic expression)
  • the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak

Simplified Characters

心 有 余 而 力 不 足

Traditional Characters

心 有 餘 而 力 不 足

Pinyin

xin1 you3 yu2 er2 li4 bu4 zu2

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

心xin1heart 有you3to have 余yu2surname Yu 而er2and 力li4surname Li 不bu4(negative prefix) 足zu2excessive