立竿见影

立竿見影

lìgān-jiànyǐng

idiom #43,113

Meanings

HSK 3

这种新药立竿见影，一喝就不疼了。

Zhè zhǒng xīn yào lìgān-jiànyǐng, yì hē jiù bù téng le.

This new medicine works instantly - one dose and the pain is gone.

HSK 5

广告效果立竿见影，销量马上翻了一倍。

Guǎnggào xiàoguǒ lìgān-jiànyǐng, xiāoliàng mǎshàng fān le yí bèi.

The ad had an immediate effect - sales doubled right away.

HSK 7-9

别指望学外语能立竿见影，得长期积累。

Bié zhǐwàng xué wàiyǔ néng lìgān-jiànyǐng, děi chángqī jīlěi.

Don't expect instant results when learning a foreign language - it takes long-term accumulation.

memory

Literally 'stand the pole (立竿), see the shadow (见影)' - sun hits the pole the instant it's up. Picture a sundial: no waiting.

history

From the Han-dynasty Daoist text 《参同契》 by 魏伯阳: 立竿见影，呼谷传响 - as predictable as a pole casting a shadow in sunlight.

立 lì

竿 gān

见 jiàn

影 yǐng