gū孤singlezhǎng掌palmnán难difficultmíng鸣sound
A single hand cannot clap; it's difficult to achieve anything alone.
Literal meaning
single (孤) — palm (掌) — difficult (难) — sound (鸣)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase.
Examples
Gū孤zhǎng掌nán难míng鸣，wǒ我men们xū需yào要dà大jiā家de的hé合zuò作。
A single hand cannot clap; we need everyone's cooperation.
Méi没yǒu有tuán团duì队de的zhī支chí持，gū孤zhǎng掌nán难míng鸣。
Without the support of a team, it's difficult to achieve anything.
Usage & nuances
Emphasizes the importance of teamwork and cooperation.
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