恨铁不成钢 in English hen4 tie3 bu4 cheng2 gang1 Meaning

Meanings

  • literally (word for word) disappointed that iron does not turn into steel (idiomatic expression)
  • metaphorically frustrated with somebody who has failed to meet one's expectations

Simplified Characters

恨 铁 不 成 钢

Traditional Characters

恨 鐵 不 成 鋼

Pinyin

hen4 tie3 bu4 cheng2 gang1

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

恨hen4to hate 铁tie3surname Tie 不bu4(negative prefix) 成cheng2surname Cheng 钢gang1steel