yì一onegǔ鼓drumzuò作makeqì气spirit
To do something in one vigorous effort; to press on to the finish without letup.
Literal meaning
one (一) — drum (鼓) — make (作) — spirit (气)
Origin
This idiom comes from the Zuo Zhuan 左传, a commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals. It describes the importance of maintaining momentum in battle.
Examples
wǒ我men们yào要yì一gǔ鼓zuò作qì气，wán完chéng成zhè这xiàng项rèn任wu务。
We must press on to the finish and complete this task.
tā他yì一gǔ鼓zuò作qì气，pǎo跑wán完le了quán全chéng程。
He ran the entire course in one vigorous effort.
Usage & nuances
Emphasizes the importance of maintaining momentum and effort to achieve a goal.
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